Child killed during ‘robbery’ in Karachi was accidentally shot dead by father: police

A case initially reported as the fatal shooting of a three-year-old girl during resistance to a robbery has taken a dramatic turn after police said that their investigation found the child was accidentally shot by her own father, who then allegedly fabricated the robbery story to mislead investigators.

District Central Police said that officers from Sharifabad Police traced the case within hours, concluding that Farwa died after her father, Muhammad Rehman, accidentally discharged a rifle while cleaning it at their home in FC Area’s Rais Amrohvi Colony.

The case had initially been reported as a suspected robbery in which the child was struck by a bullet during an alleged confrontation with armed suspects. However, police said that the father’s account unravelled after investigators found multiple inconsistencies during the inquiry.

According to police, investigators were not shown the alleged crime scene, while officers found neither bloodstains nor spent cartridge cases — the metal casing ejected after a firearm is fired — at the location where the incident was said to have occurred.

Police also said Muhammad Rehman removed his daughter’s body from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital without allowing a post-mortem examination, a medical procedure used to determine the cause of death. Investigators further identified what they described as significant contradictions in statements provided by family members during the initial investigation.

Following what police described as a professional and evidence-based investigation, officers concluded that the fatal shot was fired accidentally while Rehman was cleaning his rifle.

Police alleged that, in an attempt to avoid arrest, Rehman staged a false robbery narrative and sought to mislead investigators by claiming the child had been shot during a robbery attempt.

Sharifabad Police have since arrested Muhammad Rehman, according to the official statement.

Police said they also recovered the rifle allegedly used in the shooting, which they described as the weapon involved in the incident, along with bloodstained clothing that investigators allege Rehman changed after the shooting.

Police’s findings form the basis of the case, and the allegations against the suspect will be subject to judicial proceedings.