LAHORE(National Times)- The tragic death of a minor girl in a police shootout in Chakwal has been widely covered in the Australian media, as the Crime Control Department (CCD) chief termed the incident a “deviation from the established” standard operating procedures.The incident was covered by ABC, The Guardian, and SBS news outlets, which highlighted that the Perth-based family was on holiday in Pakistan when they were caught in the police crossfire in Chakwal.
On June 10, a nine-year-old girl was killed and her father and brother were injured after the police opened fire at their car in Chakwal, mistaking them for robbers. All of them were Australian nationals.
Adil Ahmad arrived in Pakistan from Makkah with his wife Sidra Khan, 10-year-old son Aqan Ahmad and daughter Hania. He told the inquiry officers that at 9pm on June 10, he was going to attend a family function at his in-laws’ residence in Chakwal. As the car reached outside the CCD’s office, two armed men held them up at gunpoint, snatched valuables from his wife
Suddenly, he heard heavy gunfire and the suspected robbers taking shelter in his car responded to the firing. Mr Ahmad said that he rushed the car to get out of the range of the firing, but many bullets pierced into the body of the vehicle, injuring him, his daughter and son. The wife escaped unhurt, but his daughter later succumbed to fatal injuries.
“The conduct of the officer involved has represented a grave deviation from our established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the legal standards governing the use of force,” Sohail Zafar Chatha, Punjab CCD Additional IG, told Dawn.
Quoting the findings of an inquiry, he said that the CCD personnel intervened during an armed robbery in progress. Armed robbers had intercepted the family vehicle, holding the occupants at gunpoint. During the ensuing confrontation, an exchange of gunfire occurred after the suspects opened fire on the responding officer.
“In the ensuing chaos, the officer involved mistakenly assessed that the suspects were attempting to flee in the victims’ vehicle and discharged his weapon,” the CCD chief confessed to the gross negligence. AIG Chatha said that forensic evidence, including the officer’s weapon and spent cartridges, has been secured and processed.
“While our personnel operate in high-risk environments, there is no justification for a departure from our protocols. We are conducting a thorough, impartial investigation to ensure that justice is served,” he said.
