Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Tuesday took notice of the death of 10-year-old girl Amal Umer, who lost her life after being shot by policemen during an encounter in Karachi last month.

The CJP's notice comes days after Amal's mother Beenish Umer's account of the incident appeared in Dawn. The suo motu notice concerns the "irresponsible firing" by the police as well as the "failure of [a] well-known medical hospital to provide emergency medical aid as required by the law".

Take a look: How the system failed us

The court issued notices to the Sindh Attorney General, provincial secretary health, former IGP Amjid Jawaid Saleemi and the administrator of National Medical Centre (NMC). The case will be heard on Sept 25, read a notification issued from the office of SC's registrar.

Amal was shot during an alleged crossfire between police and robbers that occurred in Karachi's Defence area last month. Later, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Javed Alam Odho admitted that the bullet that killed Amal was fired by a policeman.

After she was shot, Amal's parents, who were in the car with her, took her to NMC where she passed away after being denied medical treatment. According to Beenish, the hospital told the injured girl's parents to take her to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre or Aga Khan Hospital. NMC also refused to arrange an ambulance for Amal, who had suffered a head wound.

Opinion

A long week

A long week

There’s some wariness about the excitement surrounding this moment of international glory.

Editorial

Unlearnt lessons
Updated 28 Apr, 2026

Unlearnt lessons

THE US is undoubtedly the world’s top military and economic power at this time. Yet as the Iran quagmire has ...
Solar vision?
28 Apr, 2026

Solar vision?

THE recent imposition of certain regulatory requirements for small-scale solar systems, followed by the reversal of...
Breaking malaria’s grip
28 Apr, 2026

Breaking malaria’s grip

FOR the first time in decades, defeating malaria in our lifetime is possible, according to WHO. Yet in Pakistan,...
Pathways to peace
Updated 27 Apr, 2026

Pathways to peace

NEGOTIATIONS to hammer out the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement took nearly two years before a breakthrough was achieved....
Food-insecure nation
27 Apr, 2026

Food-insecure nation

A NEW UN-backed report has listed Pakistan among 10 countries where acute food insecurity is most concentrated. This...
Migration toll
27 Apr, 2026

Migration toll

THE world should not be deceived by a global migration count lower than the highest annual statistics on record —...