A suspect accused of running over a 14-year-old boy in Multan was killed in an alleged encounter with personnel of the Crime Control Department (CCD), according to a CCD spokesperson.
The suspect, identified as Tauqeer, had allegedly escaped from police custody while on remand, the spokesperson said.
A Multan court had granted police three-day physical remand of the suspect on Tuesday. He was accused of chasing and running over a teenage boy who worked for him in a private housing society. The suspect was arrested on Monday and produced before Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam the following day.
According to the CCD spokesperson, personnel attempted to stop two motorcyclists on Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass when an exchange of fire took place, resulting in Tauqeer’s death.
Reacting to the incident, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the teenager’s killing and the suspect’s death in the alleged encounter, saying both incidents raised “urgent questions” about the state’s treatment of human life and legal safeguards.
The commission highlighted what it described as a disturbing pattern of failures to protect vulnerable people, compounded by the erosion of due process. It said extrajudicial killings violated the right to due process and deprived victims and their families of the opportunity to seek truth and justice.
The HRCP warned that treating such killings as an acceptable means of controlling crime risked prioritising vengeance over justice and accountability. It called for an independent and transparent investigation into the case and urged an end to extrajudicial killings in all forms.
Earlier, police had sought a 14-day physical remand of the suspect for investigation. However, the judicial magistrate approved only three days.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Akhtar Farooq said raids were underway to arrest the second suspect. He expressed grief over the incident, describing the boy, who was an orphan, as having been subjected to extreme brutality.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident reportedly showed the boy running along a road after spotting a car. The vehicle appeared to swerve and chase him before striking him. The boy was thrown into the gate of a nearby house and died from the impact.
A case was registered on behalf of the state at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) police station in Multan.
The first information report (FIR) nominated two suspects and included Sections 302 (intentional murder) and 34 (acts committed by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
According to the FIR, the teenager had been working for the suspects and was receiving training as an electrician. His cousin told police that the boy had allegedly been subjected to violence and threats by the suspects.
The FIR further stated that the 14-year-old was fleeing when the suspects pursued him in a car and struck him. Police arrested one suspect, while the other escaped. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident was also taken into custody.
The circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death in the alleged encounter and the allegations of extrajudicial killing have prompted calls for an independent investigation.
