A nine-year-old Australian girl was killed and her father and brother injured after police opened fire during a robbery incident in Pakistan's Punjab province, prompting demands for accountability and calls for an independent investigation, TOI reported.
Hania Ahmed was visiting relatives with her family in Chakwal when armed robbers confronted them outside the home of a relative late on Wednesday night, according to a report by The Guardian. The assailants reportedly demanded cash, jewellery and other valuables before the situation escalated into a fatal shooting.
Family caught in police response
According to relatives, Hania's father, Adeel Ahmed, her mother and her brother, Aafan, pleaded with the robbers not to harm them before agreeing to hand over their belongings.
Shortly before midnight, officers from Punjab Police's Crime Control Department (CCD) arrived at the scene. CCTV footage reviewed by The Guardian reportedly showed police firing machine guns as both the robbers and the family attempted to leave the area.
An eyewitness said they saw police officers firing at the family's vehicle as it sped away. The witness also alleged that CCD personnel pursued the vehicle using a motorcycle and a police car.
Hania was struck by four bullets and died before reaching hospital. Her father, 39-year-old Adeel Ahmed, sustained two gunshot wounds but did not suffer serious injuries. Her 11-year-old brother, Aafan, was also shot twice and is recovering at Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi.
Family devastated after fatal shooting
The tragedy occurred during what was intended to be a family visit to Pakistan. The family had recently completed the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and was preparing to return to Australia on Monday.
Ali Ejaz, a relative, said the incident had deeply affected both the family and the wider community.
Images showing the family's bullet-riddled vehicle circulated widely on social media, intensifying public criticism of the police response.
Officer arrested as investigation begins
Punjab Police later said an officer had mistakenly believed suspects were fleeing in the victims' vehicle and opened fire. Authorities said the officer has been suspended, arrested and placed in judicial custody while a full investigation is conducted.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for a transparent and proper investigation into the incident.
In a recorded message, Adeel Ahmed said those responsible should face punishment to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"It was started by the CCD. The thieves did not start the firing first. They only fired in retaliation," Ahmed said.
He also said at least four CCD officials should face charges over the shooting.
Police acknowledge procedural violations
CCD chief Sohail Zafar Chatta maintained that the robbers fired first but acknowledged that officers should not have continued shooting without confirming who was inside the vehicle.
He described the continued firing without positive identification as a serious breach of departmental rules and said a criminal case had been registered. He added that the family had expressed confidence in the investigation process.
CCD faces renewed scrutiny
The incident has renewed attention on the CCD, a specialised police unit established last year to combat serious crime.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has called for a judicial inquiry into hundreds of killings linked to the department, alleging that encounter killings had become part of its operational approach.
Chatta rejected the criticism, arguing that political divisions in the country had contributed to the scrutiny facing the department.
Calls for accountability continue
As investigations proceed, the focus for Hania Ahmed's family remains on obtaining answers about how a robbery incident ended in the death of a child during a police operation, and ensuring accountability for those involved.
(With inputs from TOI)
