Pakistani Constable Held Responsible for Killing Australian Girl in Unprovoked Firing
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- An inquiry found a Punjab Crime Control Department constable guilty of opening indiscriminate fire without permission, leading to the death of a nine-year-old Australian girl.
- The constable claimed self-defense, but his version was rejected by the duty officer and corroborated witnesses, who stated he fired at the car without authorization.
- The formal trial for the constable is expected to begin in September, following court holidays in August, with forensic reports still pending.
A constable with Punjab's Crime Control Department (CCD) has been found responsible for the death of nine-year-old Australian national Hania Ahmed after opening fire on her family's car without authorization. The incident occurred on the night of June 10-11 outside the CCD police station in Chakwal city.
An inquiry report, submitted to the prosecutor's office, concluded that the constable fired indiscriminately at the car carrying Hania, her father Adeel Ahmed, and her brother Afan, who were being robbed by two armed men. Hania was killed, and her father and brother were injured in the shooting. The constable's claim of acting in self-defense was deemed "completely wrong and contrary to facts" by investigators.
On seeing me, one armed person fired at me with a pistol and I also fired towards the robbers. To save myself from the firing I took cover behind a wall.
According to the report, the constable stated he heard a commotion and saw two armed men robbing a white car. He claimed one robber fired at him, prompting him to return fire. However, Duty Officer Inspector Jahanzeb Khan refuted this, stating the constable fired his official SMG without permission and pursued the car on a private motorcycle without authorization. Three other officials corroborated Inspector Khan's account.
the constable fired from the official SMG without permission from him or any senior officer and chased the car on a private motorcycle, also without permission.
Witnesses also contradicted the constable's version. Ahmed Nawaz, who knew the constable, told investigators he saw the officer firing multiple shots at a car. He later learned the family in the car was related to him. The scene yielded casings from both a pistol and a Kalashnikov rifle.
The investigation is ongoing, with a final forensic opinion on the bullets and blood samples yet to be received. Due to court holidays in August, the formal trial is anticipated to commence in September.
He fired 12 to 14 shots one after another at a car going ahead.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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