LAHORE (MNN): Punjab Police and the Crime Control Department (CCD) have acknowledged serious lapses in the Chakwal shooting incident earlier this month, stating on Thursday that the matter will not be defended or covered up under any circumstances.
Officials termed the incident a case of criminal negligence, saying that lack of proper training led the CCD officer to misjudge the situation. In the incident, nine-year-old Hania was killed while her father and brother were injured after CCD personnel opened fire on their vehicle in Chakwal, mistakenly identifying it as a robber’s car.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Abdul Karim, addressing a press conference, described the incident as deeply tragic and assured a full and independent investigation. He said all negligence would be formally recorded and those responsible would be brought before the court.
Punjab CCD Additional Inspector General Sohail Zafar Chattha said the police institution attached great importance to public trust and admitted that the incident had caused embarrassment to both CCD and Punjab Police. He stressed that it was time to learn from this criminal negligence and correct internal failures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
He and the IG both highlighted that the officer involved had failed to properly assess the situation due to insufficient training, calling it a major mistake and stressing the need for improved training and capacity building within the department.
Officials further said a plan had been prepared to address training gaps and improve procedures. They reiterated that the department would not defend this negligence under any circumstances and expressed solidarity with the victim’s family. The accused officer will not be given any leniency, they added.
Chattha also confirmed that the challan of the arrested personnel would be completed within a week and submitted before the court for legal proceedings.
The press conference came after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for a transparent investigation into the killing of Hania, stressing that the facts must be examined openly and expressing sympathy for the grieving family and solidarity with the Pakistani-Australian community.
