Waseem Abbas case: Orphanage registration bid rejected as investigation remains underway

MULTAN: The Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau has turned down a registration request from Idara Khudi, the orphanage where 15-year-old Waseem Abbas lived before he was allegedly run over deliberately by a car in Multan.

The decision was announced in a notification issued after a meeting of the bureau’s registration committee on October 20, 2026.

According to the notification, the committee raised concerns about the institution’s arrangements for children’s care, safety and supervision. It also noted that the circumstances surrounding Waseem Abbas’s death were still under investigation.

Following the committee’s recommendations, the bureau decided not to approve the orphanage’s registration. However, it clarified that the decision did not establish criminal liability or determine whether any individual was responsible for the teenager’s death.

The bureau has also sent a formal letter to Idara Khudi’s general secretary regarding the matter.

Separately, police have registered cases under child labour laws against Touqeer Nazir, the main suspect in Waseem’s death, and Shoaib, who runs the orphanage where the teenager had been staying.

The cases were filed following a complaint by the Labour Department over alleged breaches of child labour regulations. An FIR against Nazir was registered at DHA Police Station, while the case against Shoaib was lodged at BZU Police Station.

Police said Waseem was transferred from the orphanage to Nazir to receive training in electrical work. However, the teenager was allegedly forced to work under the contractor instead.

Sources said Shoaib was already in police custody as part of the investigation into the case.

In a separate development, Touqeer Nazir was killed in an alleged encounter with the Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur on Wednesday, according to police.

CCD officials said officers tried to stop two motorcyclists near Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass. The suspects allegedly opened fire as they attempted to escape, prompting an exchange of fire.