Australian PM Albanese demands probe after 9-year-old girl shot dead by CTD in Chakwal

ISLAMABAD – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for a fully transparent and detailed investigation into killing of nine-year-old Pakistani-origin Australian girl Hania Ahmed in a shooting incident by CCD in Chakwal, as the case triggers growing international concern and diplomatic attention. Speaking in Canberra, Albanese said the circumstances surrounding the child’s death must be “properly and transparently examined,” saying both the grieving family and the wider public deserve clear answers. He added that Australia expects Pakistani authorities to conduct a full and impartial investigation to establish the truth behind the incident. The remarks come as conflicting accounts continue to emerge over the sequence of events that led to the child’s death in Chakwal on 10 June, during what began as an armed robbery attempt and escalated into a deadly police operation. According to initial police versions, the family was travelling in a rented vehicle when armed robbers intercepted them at gunpoint. Officials say the suspects attempted to rob the family, triggering a violent confrontation in which gunfire was exchanged after the robbers allegedly opened fire on a Crime Control Department (CCD) officer. Police further claim that during the chaos, a CCD constable mistakenly identified the family’s car as the escape vehicle of the suspects and opened fire, fatally striking nine-year-old Hania and injuring her father Adil Ahmed and her brother. However, the victim’s father has disputed this account, telling SBS Urdu that police fired first, directly contradicting the official version and deepening uncertainty about what exactly transpired. The original FIR filed by Adil Ahmed described a robbery attempt but did not initially mention police firing. Later procedural amendments reportedly added sections implicating the CCD officer, with authorities stating the changes were made following further investigation at the family’s request. CCD constable involved has sin