CHAKWAL — Hania Ahmed, a 9-year-old Australian citizen, died after police gunfire struck her family's rented vehicle in Chakwal, Pakistan. Crime Control Department officers opened fire on the car after allegedly mistaking it for a vehicle used by robbery suspects.

Two armed individuals had robbed the family at gunpoint and stole jewelry prior to the police shooting. Police officials stated that the two individuals suspected in the armed robbery were killed during a subsequent police encounter. Chakwal is approximately 62 miles southwest of Islamabad in Punjab province.

Adeel Ahmed, 39, and one of his sons were seriously injured by gunfire and required surgical treatment. Ahmed had relocated to Australia from Dhudial in the Chakwal district about 20 years ago. He earned a civil engineering degree and settled in Australia with his wife, Dr. Sidra Khan, and their children. The family arrived in Pakistan days before the incident after completing the Hajj pilgrimage.

Authorities formed a Joint Investigation Team to examine the circumstances of the shooting. Police arrested the officer accused of firing on the family vehicle and registered a murder case against him. Senior Pakistani police officials described the incident as a case of mistaken identity and pledged a transparent investigation for the family. A police official stated, "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."

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the deceased and two injured Australian citizens. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated, "We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time." The incident has prompted public discussion regarding police accountability in Pakistan and Australia. Rights organizations in Pakistan have documented concerns about police shootings.