The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of a nine-year-old Pakistani-Australian girl by the Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD) in Chakwal.

Hania Ahmed suffered fatal shots after law enforcement officers in Chakwal shot at her family’s car last Wednesday. The onslaught also critically injured her 39-year-old father, Adeel Ahmed, and 10-year-old brother, Aafan Ahmed, while her mother remained unhurt in the incident.

The shootout was covered widely by Australian as well as international media, triggering calls for an independent probe to ascertain the actual circumstances that led to the incident.

“We call for an immediate judicial inquiry into the incident,” the HRCP said in a post on X, adding that it was “alarmed” that extrajudicial killings had continued in Punjab despite the organisation having cautioned the provincial government in an earlier report.

“CCD appeared to be routinely adopting the use of lethal force as a tactic to ‘control’ crime,” the organisation lamented.

It highlighted that it had documented 808 police encounters killing at least 1,100 suspects since the department was formed in April last year.

“The fact that this normalisation of lethal force outside due process has directly resulted in the death of a nine-year-old child should be a call to conscience for the Punjab government,” the post outlined.

“While the CCD has acknowledged that this incident was a ‘violation’ of departmental rules, the incident cannot be treated as an isolated operational failure, nor can internal accountability substitute for independent oversight.”

Separately, a civil society activist appealed to Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan to take suo motu notice of the Chakwal incident.

Civil Society Network Pakistan President Abdullah Malik, in a video message shared on social media, referenced a letter sent to the judge seeking “intervention” of the constitutional court for the “enforcement” of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The letter cited Articles 9 and 10A of the Constitution, guaranteeing every citizen the fundamental rights to due process and fair trial. Furthermore, it stated that Articles 8 to 28 emphasised that the state and its institutions were obligated to protect and enforce these fundamental rights.

The plea expressed “profound grief and concern” that the nation had witnessed “the tragic killing of nine-year-old Hania in Chakwal, allegedly because of indiscriminate firing by officials of the CCD, Punjab”.

Malik stressed the immense trauma suffered by the family as a result of the child’s death, caused by gun wounds.

The letter noted that the first information report (FIR) was initially registered under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code and was later updated to include Section 302 “only after widespread public outrage, media scrutiny, and demands by civil society”.

He added that “such circumstances have created serious concerns regarding the fairness, transparency, and independence of the investigation. The present matter is not merely an isolated incident but raises serious constitutional questions affecting the lives and liberties of all citizens.”

Malik further questioned, “why are the suspects not produced before competent courts for a fair and impartial trial as guaranteed by Article 10A?”

He questioned law enforcement agencies “assuming the role of investigator, prosecutor, judge and executioner, contrary to the constitutional framework”.

Malik also asked why the due process established by law was not followed.

The letter stressed that all suspects and accused enjoyed fundamental rights under the constitutional cover and no executive authority had the right to punish or execute any individual without judicial determination.

Malik called for an immediate probe into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy while noting that “extrajudicial killings seriously undermine the rule of law, weaken public confidence in the judicial system and erode the supremacy of the constitution.”

The activist hoped the FCC would take suo motu notice of the killing and direct the constitution of an independent and transparent investigation under its supervision.

He also pleaded Justice Khan to call upon the Punjab government and the CCD to explain the legal basis, statutory authority and the standard operating procedures governing the use of lethal force.

The civil society leader also demanded that all officials involved in the “unlawful killing” be prosecuted strictly in accordance with the law.

He requested the FCC chief justice to examine the role and responsibility of the Punjab CCD’s chief to determine any failures on his part and initiate proceedings as per law.

The activist pleaded with the judge to issue directions and relevant orders to ensure the protection of human life and dignity while noting that exceptions could be established through legal discourse.

The incident

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 Haj and were visiting relatives across the region.

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.

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.

On June 16, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had called for a “transparent” investigation into the demise of the nine-year-old Pakistani-Australian girl shot dead “accidentally” by the Punjab CCD in Chakwal.

Hania’s post-mortem report, issued today, revealed that at least 11 gunshot wounds were found on her body.

According to the medico-legal report, five vital organs were struck by gunshots, causing wounds ranging between 1.5 and 3 centimetres. Her head and neck remained unharmed, while her liver, small and large intestines, lungs and other vital organs were injured.

The initial post-mortem report prepared by the District Headquarters Hospital Chakwal identified the cause of death as fatal firearm injuries, polytrauma, excessive bleeding, and cardiopulmonary arrest. Sources said the Punjab Forensic Laboratory in Lahore will issue a detailed report later.