Television anchorperson Rabia Ahsan, 41, was found dead with a gunshot wound at her residence in Rawalpindi on November 8. Her husband, Ahsan Tahir, was arrested in connection with the incident and remanded in police custody for one day by a local court on November 9.
According to City Police Officer Hassan Sukhera, the suspected murder weapon was recovered from the Gulshanabad residence, while the arrest followed a complaint filed by Ahsan’s brother. An FIR was registered at Saddar Beruni police station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 13(2)(a) of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance, 2015.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said Ahsan’s husband claimed that the firearm discharged accidentally. Police sources said the suspect could not produce a licence for the recovered pistol, which was loaded at the time of the incident. The Punjab Forensic Science Agency collected evidence from the crime scene, and the body was sent for a post-mortem examination. Police also questioned a domestic worker and planned forensic examinations of the couple’s mobile phones. Ahsan’s two daughters were reportedly in the lawn with their maternal grandmother at the time.
Police sought seven days of physical remand for further interrogation, but the court granted one day and directed authorities to produce the suspect again on November 10. According to police sources, the initial examination found no blackening marks around Rabia’s gunshot wound, suggesting the shot was not fired from close range.
Rabia’s brother, Khurram Ahmed, reportedly said he intended to withdraw the murder complaint against her husband, describing the shooting as accidental. However, a senior police officer told Dawn that any request to withdraw the murder case or reach a compromise between the complainant and the suspect would be decided by the trial court, not the police.
The journalist community and political figures expressed grief over her death. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari called for a thorough and transparent investigation, while Senator Sherry Rehman condemned the alleged killing and urged authorities to ensure accountability. Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also expressed condolences and called for an impartial inquiry. Rabia, who was associated with 92 News, presented her last programme on the night of November 7.
