Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Karim and Crime Control Department (CCD) Additional Inspector General (AIG) Sohail Zafar Chattha on Thursday acknowledged that a “mistake” had killed a minor girl in Chakwal earlier this month, vowing authorities will neither defend the incident, nor attempt to cover it up.
A nine-year-old girl, Hania, was killed, while her father and brother were injured after officials of the CCD opened fire on their car after mistaking them for dacoits. The incident has prompted global outrage, with the Australian prime minister demanding a transparent probe, as the deceased girl was an Australian national.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the IGP and AIG described the shooting as a case of “criminal negligence.” They claimed the implicated CCD official’s lack of training had contributed to his inability to assess the situation correctly.
Dubbing the incident “deeply tragic,” the IGP asserted it would be thoroughly investigated and the negligence of the relevant officer placed on record to ensure justice before a court of law. He said no institution could earn public trust without acknowledging its mistakes and assured the investigation would proceed independently. He said a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), headed by a senior superintendent of police, had been constituted to ensure an unbiased probe and ascertain the facts. He said all relevant Punjab government institutions and police departments were fully cooperating with the JIT.
AIG Chattha, meanwhile, said the family’s trust was of utmost importance to the police. He maintained public confidence in the CCD was important because society had high expectations of the department and often believed it did not make mistakes. He said the tragedy had caused embarrassment for both the CCD and the Punjab police.
“Now is the right time to learn from this criminal negligence and rectify the blunders of the individuals in CCD to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
The two officials said the CCD officer’s “huge blunder” resulted from his lack of training and acknowledged the need to enhance training and capacity-building within the department. They said authorities had devised a plan to address shortcomings and gaps in training to prevent similar incidents in future.
“We will not defend this criminal negligence in any circumstances,” said Chattha, adding the CCD stood with the family of the victim. He also made clear the cop nominated under murder charges would not get any sympathy from the police.
To a question, the AIG said the challan of the arrested individual would be completed within a week, adding it would then be presented before the court for further legal proceedings.
Chattha said the CCD had achieved significant success in crime prevention and contributed to a noticeable decline in crime rates within a short period. He said two CCD officers had embraced martyrdom while more than 200 personnel had been injured in the line of duty during anti-crime operations. “I promise the affected family and the public that in this case, justice will not only be done but will also be seen to be done,” he vowed.