Australian PM demands 'transparent' inquiry into nine-year-old girl's killing by Punjab CCD

Punjab CCD AIG calls incident unintentional, promises probe to the satisfaction of victim’s family

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday demanded a “transparent” investigation into the killing of a nine-year-old Pakistani-Australian girl who was shot dead by the Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD) in Chakwal on June 10 during an operation.

Hania Ahmed suffered fatal shots after law enforcement officers in Chakwal shot at her family’s car last Wednesday. The onslaught also critically injured her 39-year-old father, Adeel Ahmed, and 10-year-old brother, Aafan Ahmed, while her mother remained unhurt in the incident. The shootout was covered widely by Australian as well as international media, triggering calls for an independent probe to ascertain the actual circumstances that led to the incident.

Addressing reporters in Canberra following public outcry, the Australian PM flagged the importance of a detailed inquiry into the incident: “These circumstances do need to be examined. They need to be examined in a transparent way, so that everyone can know, the family, most importantly, but others as well.”

The premier said that his heart goes out to the family and friends of the slain girl and expressed solidarity with the Pakistani-Australian community, adding that they would be “really feeling this today”.

Albanese condoled the family over the unfortunate incident on what “should have been a time of joy”.

The Australian High Commission said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was providing consular assistance to the family.

“The Australian High Commission sends its deepest condolences to the family at this sad and difficult time,” it added.

Meanwhile, Punjab CCD Additional Inspector General (AIG) Sohail Zafar Chattha on Monday claimed that the department did not believe in extrajudicial killings and operated against individuals involved in serious criminal activities.

He said this on a visit to the Chakwal residence of the slain nine-year-old girl.

“We take action against people implicated in grave crimes. Such criminals are often armed and have a history of opening fire on law enforcement personnel,” he highlighted while speaking to the media.

He explained that when CCD teams were compelled to respond when they came under attack during operations, adding that at least three to four robberies were reported in Chakwal on the day of the incident, which contributed to the response by the CCD personnel.

“A citizen’s life is more precious than arresting two robbers. Even if suspects are not apprehended on the spot, CCD personnel are trained to pursue and capture them later,” he said, adding that it would have been better if CCD continued the chase and arrested the suspects later.

He further revealed that the alleged robbers arrived in the city from Sheikhupura and “believed they could carry out criminal activities in Chakwal without consequences”.

“Our officers traced the suspects and conducted a raid. Unfortunately, during the exchange of fire between the suspects and law enforcement officials, the little girl was shot and killed.”

Chattha called the incident “a major tragedy” and extended sympathy to the aggrieved family.

He said that the credibility of the ongoing investigation would be measured by the confidence and satisfaction of the victim’s family.

“The family’s trust in us is extremely important, and public confidence in the CCD is equally significant. Society has high expectations of the CCD and often believes that the department does not make mistakes,” he said.

He acknowledged that mistakes could happen and suggested that the incident should serve as an opportunity for institutional improvement.

“Following the loss of this young child, we have an opportunity to correct our shortcomings and address any gaps in training to prevent such incidents from happening in the future,” he concluded.

Later, CCD Superintendent of Police (SP) Shah Meer Khalid shared details of the incident at a press conference at the CCD Headquarters, saying personnel involved in the firing had been taken into custody and legal and departmental action had been initiated against them.

“The challan of the arrested personnel will soon be presented before the court for further legal proceedings,” he added.

Khalid said CCD personnel had mistakenly opened fire on the vehicle of the affected family, believing that the robbers were fleeing after snatching the family’s vehicle at gunpoint.

He said the CCD personnel had violated standard operating procedures, adding that the affected family had been assured of a transparent investigation.

The SP said the family had expressed confidence in the investigation and the progress made so far.

The incident

According to police and family sources, Adeel — an Australian citizen residing in Perth — had arrived in Pakistan with his wife, Dr Sidra, and their children for a family holiday. The couple had recently performed Hajj and were visiting relatives across the region.

The incident took place late in the evening as the family was travelling to a relative’s house for dinner. Near the CCD police station in Chakwal, armed suspects on a motorcycle intercepted the family’s vehicle and robbed them of cash and jewellery.

An exchange of fire subsequently took place between the arriving CCD personnel and the robbers. In panic, Adeel attempted to accelerate and drive his family away from the scene. However, CCD officials, operating under the assumption that the speeding vehicle belonged to fleeing suspects, opened indiscriminate fire.

The vehicle was hit by multiple bullets, critically injuring nine-year-old Hania. She was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.

Her father, Adeel, and her brother, Affan, also sustained serious gunshot wounds in the incident and were shifted to a specialised medical facility in Rawalpindi, where they remain under treatment. Dr Sidra remained unharmed.

The incident sparked strong public backlash on social media and drew condemnation from civic circles, which demanded accountability for alleged high-handedness by law enforcement.

In a significant legal development, authorities amended the case against the arrested CCD official, upgrading the charge to Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code from the initial registration under Section 322, which pertains to manslaughter or unintentional homicide.