Pakistani Cop Fatally Shoots 9-Year-Old on Vacation

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday pressed Pakistani authorities for answers about the death of a 9-year-old Perth girl who was reportedly shot by police while on holiday with her family. Police say armed robbers held the family at gunpoint in their rental car in Chakwal, Punjab province, on Wednesday, then opened fire on an officer, triggering a shootout. As the suspects fled, police said an officer mistook the family's vehicle for the suspects' and fired, killing Hania and injuring her father and older brother, per the BBC. The two suspects were later killed by police, per ABC Australia.

The officer who allegedly fired on the family is in custody, and Punjab police say they are carrying out a "thorough and impartial" inquiry. Albanese said Australia expects full clarity for the public and the family. "The mum, in particular, was in a state of extreme shock, and was not even able to speak for a couple of days," the principal of Hania's school tells ABC. Hania's father has already disputed the police account, saying officers were the first to fire shots, not the robbers. He says officers were "chasing our car," though he was ultimately able to dodge them, "otherwise they would have murdered all of us."