A nine-year-old Australian girl was killed and two of her family members injured when the police allegedly opened fire on their car in a case of mistaken identity while chasing robbery suspects.
A police officer was taken into custody after he mistakenly shot at their vehicle in Punjab province’s Chakwal, local authorities said on Sunday.
The Pakistan-origin family from the Perth suburb of Kewdale was visiting their relatives in Chakwal when they were confronted by armed, bike-borne robbers on Wednesday night.
A police officer returning to the station across the road exchanged fire with two robbery suspects after witnessing the incident.
The suspects fled on their motorbike but things took a wrong turn when more police who arrived at the scene opened fire as the family began to drive away. They mistook the family’s car for the suspects’, the police said.
“As the cops saw the vehicle being driven away immediately, they took it as belonging to the robbers and opened indiscriminate fire on the car,” a police official told local media.
The girl, identified as Hania Ahmed, was taken to District Headquarters Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Her father and brother were injured in the firing and were transferred to Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi. The two underwent surgery there. The mother was unharmed.
Pictures showed a white car riddled with over a dozen bullet holes.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the Chakwal District Police as saying the two primary suspects were later killed in a “police encounter”.
“Timely action by special teams formed to arrest the suspects involved in the incident resulted in both primary dacoits being killed,” the statement said.
The police said they have launched an investigation into the incident and “strict legal action” would be taken if negligence is found or any officer is proven guilty.
“To ensure a transparent and impartial inquiry into the incident, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been established,” the statement said.
“The team is meticulously reviewing all aspects of the case to bring the facts to light.
The couple had gone for Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and had returned on Wednesday, the same day as the incident. They were robbed of about PKR500,000 (£1,338) worth of jewellery, according to the Dawn newspaper.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they were providing consular assistance to the family.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.
Western Australia Attorney-General Tony Buti lamented the incident, saying the girl was on holiday with her family.
“There was a case of mistaken identity and unfortunately, she was shot dead, which is so sad.
“I’ve spoken to a senior member of the Pakistani community of Western Australia this morning, Abdullah Khan, to pass on the government’s condolences and also support.
“He did tell me that the father and brother are recovering but it’s just a real tragic situation.”
Zarrin Siddiqui, president of the Pakistanis in Australia group, said it was a shocking incident.
“We are very much devastated at the moment,” she said.
“Although we are not directly related, but because of our community organisations, people are reaching out to us to ask for any help that we need and offer their own condolences”. She said the girl’s mother is a dentist and father an engineer.
