CCD Chief Admits Mistake After Death of 9-Year-Old Hania in Chakwal Shooting Incident
Islamabad: The death of nine-year-old Hania Adeel during a police shooting incident in Chakwal has raised serious questions about law enforcement performance and public safety in the city, following a series of robberies that reportedly continued for nearly four hours on the night of June 10.
According to reports, two armed robbers carried out at least five separate criminal incidents across different locations in Chakwal during the four-hour period. The final incident occurred outside a Crime Control Department (CCD) police station, where a CCD officer allegedly opened fire without proper verification, resulting in the death of Hania Adeel.
The young girl was killed in the shooting, while her father and brother sustained injuries and remain under medical treatment.
The robbers reportedly began their crime spree at around 8 p.m. on College Road, one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, where Safe City surveillance cameras are installed. Despite the presence of the monitoring system, the suspects allegedly continued committing robberies at multiple locations for several hours.
A case regarding Hania’s death has been registered on the complaint of her father. Initially, the First Information Report (FIR) included Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relates to causing death through negligence or mistake. However, according to sources, Section 302, which pertains to murder, was later added at the insistence of the complainants.
CCD Chief Suhail Zafar Chattha visited the victim’s family and reportedly acknowledged that a mistake had been made. He also assured the family that standard operating procedures (SOPs) within the department would be further strengthened to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The victim’s family and local residents have questioned whether routine departmental inquiries will be sufficient to deliver justice. They have also raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Safe City project, asking how armed robbers were able to operate freely across the city for hours despite the surveillance infrastructure.
Residents further questioned under what authority CCD personnel were permitted to use indiscriminate force without proper identification of suspects, arguing that accountability is essential to restore public trust.
The incident has sparked widespread concern among citizens, who say Chakwal—once regarded as a peaceful city—is increasingly facing security challenges despite the availability of modern surveillance systems. Residents have urged the government to take immediate notice of the situation, ensure justice for Hania Adeel, and improve law enforcement effectiveness to restore public confidence and security.
