Albanese demands answers after Pakistan police shoot dead Australian girl on holiday

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - LAHORE — Police mistakenly shot and killed an Australian child in eastern Pakistan, authorities said on Monday, with Canberra calling for an investigation into the incident that also wounded two of the girl's family members.

Police in Pakistan's most populous eastern province, Punjab, said that officers responding to a robbery exchanged fire with the suspects who were holding the passengers of a family's car at gunpoint in the northern city of Chakwal on Wednesday.

"In the ensuing chaos, the officer involved mistakenly assessed that the suspects were attempting to flee in the victims' vehicle and discharged his weapon," said the Punjab Police's Crime Control Department.

"This erroneous decision resulted in the tragic death of 9-year-old Hania and injuries to her father and brother."

Punjab police said they had registered a criminal complaint from the victim's father and had arrested the officer involved, who appeared before a court and was remanded in custody.

Australian media reported the family, from the western city of Perth, were visiting relatives in Pakistan when the incident took place.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on authorities in Pakistan to investigate the fatal shooting of an Australian girl while on holiday with her family.

"The circumstances do need to be examined. They need to be examined in a transparent way, so that everyone can know, the family, most importantly, but others as well," Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"Australia expects there to be transparency and a proper investigation of these circumstances," he said.

"My understanding is that not only has a young girl lost her life but there have been other members of the family injured as well in circumstances which are dire indeed," he said.

Punjab police said there was "absolutely no justification for deviating from our established protocols" and that it was conducting a "thorough and impartial investigation".

The girl's death has shocked both Australia and Pakistan.

Abdullah Khan, the principal of Hania's school in Perth, told the BBC that news of her death was "traumatic" for her community.

Hania was very friendly, bubbly, and very social, Khan said.

"She had lots of friends, [and was] very respectful to teachers," he added. "She was loved by everyone."

Khan said he has been in touch with Hania's family, and that the school was providing counselling support to staff and students.

"Especially the students in her class — they are distressed and in a state of shock," he said.

Punjab Police said it was conducting "a thorough, impartial investigation to ensure that justice is served."

"We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. While our personnel operate in high-risk environments, there is no justification for a departure from our protocols," it added.

Australia's foreign affairs ministry said it was providing assistance to the family of an Australian citizen who been killed and two others injured.