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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

How Perth girl got caught in crossfire of 'deliberate policy of lethal force'

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • Nine-year-old Australian girl Hania Ahmed was fatally shot by police in Pakistan during a robbery incident.
  • The family was robbed at gunpoint, and a subsequent police response led to a shootout where Hania was hit by bullets.
  • The exact sequence of events, including who fired first, is disputed between the family and Pakistani authorities.

A peaceful family visit to Pakistan turned into a devastating tragedy for a Perth family when nine-year-old Hania Ahmed was killed by police gunfire. The incident occurred after the family was robbed at gunpoint in the city of Chakwal.

She was a very good girl … I loved her more than my own sons.

— Mazhar Hussain ChohanHania Ahmed's grandfather remembering his granddaughter.

Hania and her brother were staying with their grandparents while their parents performed the Hajj pilgrimage. After the parents returned, the family gathered for dinner. Later that night, as they were leaving a relative's home, two robbers approached them, demanding jewelry at gunpoint. The situation escalated when police responded to the scene.

She used to call herself a doctor, she used to call herself Dr Hania.

— Mazhar Hussain ChohanHania Ahmed's grandfather describing her aspirations.

According to Pakistan's Crime Control Department (CCD), the robbers initiated the shooting, firing at an officer. However, Hania's father, Adeel Ahmed, disputes this, alleging that police fired first and escalated the confrontation. As the family attempted to drive away from the chaos, police continued firing at their vehicle, mistakenly believing the robbers were inside.

I saw the dead body of my granddaughter on a stretcher, and my son and grandson were injured, police and doctors were working.

— Mazhar Hussain ChohanHania Ahmed's grandfather recounting his arrival at the hospital.

Hania was struck by multiple bullets, with medical notes indicating at least five, and died instantly. Her father and 11-year-old brother were injured in the incident. The CCD, established in 2025 to combat crime in Pakistan's Punjab province, has provided its account, but the family's version of events presents a starkly different narrative of the events that led to the young girl's death.

I lost my consciousness.

— Mazhar Hussain ChohanHania Ahmed's grandfather describing his reaction to seeing his family at the hospital.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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