Father of Australian girl shot by police while visiting Pakistan demands justice

The father of a nine-year-old Australian girl killed in Pakistan on holiday has demanded justice and to “reduce the harm” of a controversial new police wing whose officers opened fire with machine guns in response to a robbery. Hania Ahmed and her family were visiting her great-uncle Ali Ejaz last week at his home in Chakwal, Punjab province. Robbers confronted the family outside Ejaz’s home late on Wednesday, demanding they hand over cash, jewellery and other possessions, Ejaz told the Guardian. He said Hania’s father, Adeel Ahmed, her mother, Hania, and brother Aafan, 11, had pleaded with them “don’t harm my family” and agreed to hand over their possessions. But within 30 seconds of that exchange, shortly before midnight, according to CCTV footage seen by the Guardian, officers from the crime control department (CCD), a newly formed Punjab police wing, arrived from a nearby station armed with machine guns and opened fire on both the robbers and the family, who were attempting to flee in a car. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, told the Guardian that they had watched the incident from about 20 metres away. “I could see the car speeding and the police officer firing straight at the car,” they said. …