Chakwal CCD Tragedy: Father Alleges Police Coerced Signature on Blank Paper After Daughter’s Death

CHAKWAL: New details have emerged in the killing of nine‑year‑old Hania Ahmed, an Australian national, as her father, Adeel Ahmed, claims that the perpetrators were not robbers but a Crime Control Department (CCD) officer who opened fire directly on the evening of 10 June in Chakwal city. Hania was killed instantly; Adeel and his 11‑year‑old brother Affan were seriously injured, while their mother, Dr. Sidra Khan, survived unharmed.

The incident has drawn international concern. Punjab police and the CCD have acknowledged the mistake, describing it as a case of “criminal negligence”.

In an application filed with District Police Officer Kashif Zulfiqar on Tuesday, Adeel alleged that City Police Sub‑Inspector Ahsan Abdullah misrepresented the incident in the first information report (FIR) by stating that unknown robbers opened fire.

According to Adeel, when he was brought to District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition, Constable Ateeque was present at the police service counter and allegedly misbehaved with him. The father recalled that City Police Station personnel later arrived at the hospital, where Constable Ateeque and Sub‑Inspector Abdullah listened to his account before pressuring him to sign and place his thumbprint on a blank paper, threatening that he would not be allowed to see a doctor otherwise.

He added that his daughter had already died, his wife was in severe distress, and both he and his son were taken for medical examination after they signed the blank paper. Their critical condition prompted doctors to transfer them to Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital in Rawalpindi.

When Adeel arrived the next day to attend his daughter’s funeral in Dhudial, he met CCD Sub‑Inspector Muhammad Irfan, as the investigation had been reassigned from the City Police Station to the CCD. It was then that he learned the shooting had been carried out by a CCD constable and that the FIR statement had been altered by Sub‑Inspector Abdullah, who replaced Section 322 (unintentional murder) with Section 302 (intentional murder) despite evidence indicating intent.

The original FIR described unknown persons who snatched jewellery from his wife, took cover behind a vehicle, and then fired shots. “This was fabricated by Sub‑Inspector Ahsan Abdullah solely to benefit the accused in the case,” Adeel alleged.

The bereaved father stated that he provided full details to CCD Sub‑Inspector Muhammad Irfan, who recorded his statement based on the facts. Adeel urged legal action against Abdullah and Constable Ateeque to prevent their “malicious intentions” from influencing the case.

DPO Orders Inquiry; Police Deny Claims

In response to Adeel’s application, DPO Zulfiqar directed the headquarters’ deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to conduct a fact‑finding inquiry, instructing that the complainant be contacted by phone if he returns to Australia. The inquiry officer was given a three‑day deadline to complete the investigation.

When contacted, a senior City Police Station officer dismissed Adeel’s allegations as “baseless,” asserting that the FIR was registered according to standard operating procedures and in the presence of the affected family members. He defended Constable Ateeque, stating that misconduct could not be imagined under such tragic circumstances.

On 18 June, CCD Additional Inspector General Sohail Zafar Chattha indicated that the policeman named in the murder charges would receive no sympathy from the police and that the charge sheet would be completed within a week.

The CCD, established the previous year, has faced criticism from human‑rights groups and civil society for alleged extrajudicial encounters and high casualty rates. A February fact‑finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) accused the CCD of pursuing “a deliberate policy of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings.”

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