Television anchor Rabia Ahsan, associated with 92 News, was found shot dead at her home in Rawalpindi’s Gulshanabad area on Sunday, police said, in a killing that has shaken Pakistan’s media community and drawn a demand for a transparent investigation from First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari.
Her husband has been taken into custody, and the weapon allegedly used in the shooting has been recovered. Police say the motive has not yet been established and it is not yet clear whether the shot was fired deliberately or by accident.
What happened in Gulshanabad
Rabia Ahsan was found dead inside the bedroom of her home in Gulshanabad, near Adiala Road in Rawalpindi, after police received information about a shooting at the house. Rawalpindi City Police Officer Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera confirmed the death and said the anchor had sustained a single gunshot wound to the front of her neck, just below the throat.
Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari said Rabia Ahsan was 41 years old. The minister described the wound as being to the head, a detail that differs from the police account; the exact nature of the injury will be established by the post-mortem examination.
According to reports, Rabia Ahsan had hosted her final programme on a private television channel the night before her death. She was a mother of two daughters and also ran a salon in Islamabad, according to Express News.
Husband in custody and the accidental-firing claim
Police have taken Rabia Ahsan’s husband, Ahsan Tahir Khan, into custody. He is a Grade-18 officer at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation and has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing.
In his initial statement to investigators, Ahsan Tahir Khan said the pistol went off accidentally while he was handling it, striking his wife. Police sources said the couple had married by choice and that no reports of any argument or domestic discord between them had initially been received.
Police have stressed that the claim of accidental firing is only the suspect’s account. Authorities have not announced a confirmed motive and say they have not yet determined whether the shooting was accidental or deliberate. Police also said reports circulating about alleged abuse of the victim had no basis in fact, adding that the actual facts would emerge only after the forensic report.
Forensic evidence and the post-mortem
CPO Sukhera visited the scene with the senior superintendent of police (operations) and the senior superintendent of police (investigations), accompanied by a team of forensic experts. Teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency collected evidence from the residence, and the recovered firearm has been sent for forensic and ballistic analysis.
Rabia Ahsan’s body was shifted to a hospital for a post-mortem examination and other legal formalities. Police said a case was being registered and that an investigation on merit would be ensured, with further legal proceedings to follow once the forensic findings and other evidence had been examined.
First Lady demands a transparent investigation
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari expressed deep sadness over the killing and strongly condemned the violence. In a statement issued by the Presidency, she called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
She expressed dismay over what she called the “disturbing pattern of killing of another professional woman in the same metropolitan area”. “Such incidents demand serious attention and accountability. Women must be able to live and work without fear for their lives,” she said.
Aseefa recalled the case of Hina Javed, a 45-year-old digital media executive who was found dead at her Rawalpindi residence in August with signs of torture. According to a DNA analysis report, DNA samples of Hina’s domestic servant matched post-mortem swabs collected from her body, while her husband’s DNA also matched samples taken from multiple items at the crime scene. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had noted that DNA test results and a polygraph test suggested the murder and rape were committed by the servant, though the investigation is ongoing.
On 29 October, Aseefa met Hina’s family at Parliament and said their demand for a judicial commission would be given due consideration. The outcome of the investigation into Hina’s case is still awaited.
Police say all aspects of Rabia Ahsan’s death are being investigated. For now, the questions at the centre of the case — whether the shot was an accident or a deliberate act, and what happened inside the house in Gulshanabad — remain unanswered until the forensic evidence and the post-mortem report are complete.
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