Rawalpindi: Pakistani television journalist Rabia Ahsan, 41, was found shot dead at her home in Rawalpindi on Sunday, November 8. Police have detained her husband, Ahsan Tahir, and registered a murder case as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding her death.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Ahsan was shot in the bedroom of her house in the Gulshanabad area at around 3 pm. Her mother and sister were reportedly at the residence when they heard gunfire.
The FIR stated that her sister, Alwina, rushed into the bedroom and found Ahsan lying on the floor, while her husband was holding a pistol. An initial examination found gunshot wounds below her neck and on the right side of her back.
Police took Tahir into custody after Ahsan's brother, Khurram Ahmed, filed a complaint accusing him of shooting his sister. A case was registered at the Sadar Beruni police station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with murder, along with provisions of Punjab's arms law.
Forensic teams collected evidence from the house and seized a pistol and ammunition. Police also said the suspect had not produced a valid licence or permit for the firearm during questioning.
A Rawalpindi court on Monday granted police one day of physical remand to question Tahir. The court directed investigators to produce him again on Tuesday.
The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation. Police initially said a domestic worker had told them that Tahir described the gunshot as accidental.
The case also saw a development on Monday when Ahsan's brother told Pakistan's ARY News that he was withdrawing his complaint and believed the shooting had been accidental. Police have not publicly established how the firearm was discharged.
Ahsan was an anchor and programme host associated with Pakistan's 92 News HD. She presented the current affairs programme Muqabil and had worked alongside journalists Amir Mateen and Rauf Klasra. She is survived by two daughters.
Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over her death and called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation.