LHC disposes of plea seeking judicial probe into killing of Pakistani-Australian girl

Directs FIA director general to decide pending application seeking investigation in accordance with the law

The Lahore High Court's (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on Friday disposed of a writ petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the killing of nine-year-old Pakistani-Australian girl Hania Ahmed in Chakwal and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to decide a pending application seeking an investigation into the case in accordance with the law.

Hania was killed after Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD) officials in Chakwal opened fire on her family's car on June 10, with the child suffering 11 bullet wounds. Her father and brother were critically injured, while her mother escaped unharmed.

The petition was filed by senior lawyer Mian Asif Mahmood on Thursday, who alleged that Hania and her family had been deliberately targeted and described the incident as a grave violation of citizens' fundamental rights.

The petitioner further argued that the tragedy raised serious questions about the exercise of authority by state institutions and was not merely an issue affecting a single family, but one concerning the fundamental rights of citizens across Pakistan.

Read More: Fatal CCD shooting case deepens

Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan heard the petition, with advocate Mahmood appearing before the court alongside officials from the CCD and Punjab police.

During the hearing, Mahmood informed the court that an application seeking an FIA investigation into the incident had already been filed and was awaiting a decision. Police told the court that a criminal case had been registered over Hania's killing and that the accused official had been arrested.

Following the submissions, the court disposed of the petition seeking a judicial inquiry and directed the FIA director general to decide the pending application in accordance with the law.

A day earlier, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also demanded a judicial inquiry into the case.

"We call for an immediate judicial inquiry into the incident," the HRCP said in a post on X, adding that it was “alarmed” that extrajudicial killings had continued in Punjab despite the organisation having cautioned the provincial government in an earlier report.

“CCD appeared to be routinely adopting the use of lethal force as a tactic to ‘control’ crime,” the organisation lamented.

It highlighted that it had documented 808 police encounters killing at least 1,100 suspects since the department was formed in April last year.

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.

On June 16, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had called for a "transparent" investigation into the demise of the nine-year-old Pakistani-Australian girl shot dead "accidentally" by the Punjab CCD in Chakwal.

Hania's post-mortem report, issued today, revealed that at least 11 gunshot wounds were found on her body.

According to the medico-legal report, five vital organs were struck by gunshots, causing wounds ranging between 1.5 and 3 centimetres. Her head and neck remained unharmed, while her liver, small and large intestines, lungs and other vital organs were injured.

The initial post-mortem report prepared by the DHQ Chakwal identified the cause of death as fatal firearm injuries, polytrauma, excessive bleeding, and cardiopulmonary arrest. Sources said the Punjab Forensic Laboratory in Lahore will issue a detailed report later.