Outrage online after Lahore student killed in hit-and-run by speeding underage driver

Outrage has been brewing after a student of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Abdul Hadi, was killed and his brother, Abdullah Khan, injured on Saturday when a speeding car hit their motorcycle in Lahore’s DHA. According to a Dawn report, the suspect was an underage driver and was speeding when he hit the siblings.

Cantonment Division Investigation SP Bushra Nisar said the suspect is on pre-arrest bail till June 14, after which he will be presented in court. The driver, who is 17 years old, fled the scene after hitting the brothers, leaving his vehicle behind.

According to the FIR filed at the Defence C police station, the 22-year-old deceased and his 30-year-old brother were heading to Defence Raya from DHA Phase 7 on a motorcycle when the accused hit them with his Toyota Altis. The driver was going from Defence Raya to Block N while allegedly speeding and driving recklessly.

The FIR added that the victims’ motorcycle was destroyed due to the accident and Abdul Hadi succumbed to his injuries at the hospital while Abdullah was severely injured.

Following the incident, people took to social media to express their outrage, with many blaming “rich DHA kids” who could get away scot-free because of their wealth.

Due to allegations that the driver was only 17 years — while the legal driving age in Pakistan is 18 years — netizens believe that the suspect’s parents should be held responsible for the accident.

Singer Maria Unera urged people to stop letting their underaged children drive without supervision. She wrote, “It’s always the spoiled rich kids who try to get away with it,” adding that parents need to stop enabling such behaviour.

Singer Umair Jaswal also re-shared the news to his Instagram story and offered his condolences to the family.

Meanwhile, students and faculty from LUMS, where Abdul Hadi was studying engineering, called for justice using the hashtag #JusticeforAbdulHadi.

Hadi’s teacher highlighted how “signal-free corridors incentivise rash driving”. Another netizen highlighted that in Lahore’s DHA Phase 6 and 7, with people driving at high speeds, there is “100 percent chance of an accident”.

A protest is being held at Liberty Chowk on Wednesday in solidarity with the victim’s family and to demand that the driver be arrested.