CCD officers involved in the incident have been remanded to jail on judicial orders
Police vehicles are parked outside District Headquarters Hospital in Muzaffargarh, Punjab on July 29, 2015. Photo: Reuters
A Pakistani-Australian family’s vacation following the completion of the holy Hajj pilgrimage ended in tragedy when a nine-year-old girl was shot dead in an incident involving local law enforcement in Chakwal district of Punjab.
The victim, identified as Hania Adeel, was fatally shot when officers from the Crime Control Department (CCD) allegedly opened fire on the family’s vehicle, mistaking it for that of fleeing robbers. The incident triggered grief within local and overseas communities and led to major legal developments and a sweeping investigation.
According to police and family sources, Adeel — an Australian citizen residing in Perth — had arrived in Pakistan with his wife, Dr Sidra, and their children for a family holiday. The couple had recently performed Hajj and were visiting relatives across the region.
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The incident took place late in the evening as the family was travelling to a relative’s house for dinner. Near the CCD police station in Chakwal, armed suspects on a motorcycle intercepted the family’s vehicle and robbed them of cash and jewellery.
An exchange of fire subsequently took place between the arriving CCD personnel and the robbers. In panic, Adeel attempted to accelerate and drive his family away from the scene. However, CCD officials, operating under the assumption that the speeding vehicle belonged to fleeing suspects, opened indiscriminate fire.
The vehicle was hit by multiple bullets, critically injuring nine-year-old Hania. She was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.
Her father, Adeel, and her brother, Affan, also sustained serious gunshot wounds in the incident and were shifted to a specialised medical facility in Rawalpindi, where they remain under treatment. Dr Sidra remained unharmed.
The incident sparked strong public backlash on social media and drew condemnation from civic circles, which demanded accountability for alleged high-handedness by law enforcement.
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In a significant legal development, authorities amended the case against the arrested CCD official, upgrading the charge to Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code from the initial registration under Section 322, which pertains to manslaughter or unintentional homicide.
The service rifle used by the official has been seized as evidence, while the accused has been remanded to jail on judicial orders. To ensure impartiality, the investigation has been taken away from the local city police and handed over to senior officials within the Crime Control Department, who are examining operational failures that led to the misidentification.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Hania’s grieving grandfather made a poignant plea for strict accountability, symbolically calling for the “shaking of the chains of justice”.
“We only want justice,” he said. “Our innocent little girl was not involved in any crime. She was just a child who became a victim of absolute lawlessness. Those responsible must be punished to the full extent of the law.”
The District Police Officer (DPO) of Chakwal issued a statement expressing deep regret over the loss of an innocent life, assuring that the investigation would cover all aspects of the incident. He added that if negligence or misuse of authority is proven, strict action would be taken against those responsible.
While investigations continue to determine the exact sequence of events, a sense of grief persists within the community. A family that returned to its homeland to celebrate life and faith is instead preparing for a funeral, raising questions about public safety protocols during armed encounters.