Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese has called for a transparent investigation into the killing of nine-year-old Hania Ahmad, who was shot dead by Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) earlier this week.
“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,” Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
“Australia expects there to be transparency and a proper investigation of these circumstances,” he added.
Hania, along with her father Adeel Ahmed, 39, her brother Aafan Ahmed, 10, and her mother Dr Sidra Khan, were travelling in their vehicle when CCD personnel opened fire on them, mistaking their car for that of robbers. Hania died on the spot. Adeel and Aafan were critically injured, while Dr Khan was unhurt.
The family, based in Perth, were on holiday in Pakistan at the time. The incident was covered by Australian outlets including ABC, The Guardian and SBS.
Albanese also expressed condolences to the family and noted that the Pakistani-Australian community “will be really feeling this today”.
“A nine-year-old girl visiting Pakistan with her family should have been a time of joy,” he said.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family. Western Australia Attorney General Tony Buti described the incident as a case of “mistaken identity” and said that his thoughts were with the family and the Pakistani community in Western Australia.
The Pakistani Association of Western Australia noted that the Ahmad family had requested privacy, adding that the group remained in contact with them.
On the law enforcement side, two suspects linked to a series of robberies on Wednesday night (the same night) the family was shot were killed in a separate encounter with CCD Chakwal. A CCD official was arrested after the FIR against him was amended to include section 302, the charge of murder.
