television journalist and anchorperson Rabia Ahsan was found shot dead at her residence in Gulshanabad, , on November 8. Her husband, Ahsan Tahir, was taken into custody as police launched an investigation into her death.
A Rawalpindi court on Tuesday, November 10, extended Tahir’s physical remand by four days to allow investigators to question him further. The case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with murder, along with provisions of Punjab’s arms law.
The development has brought renewed attention to Ahsan’s career as a television journalist and the circumstances surrounding her death.
Ahsan, 41, was a television presenter associated with Pakistan’s Urdu-language broadcaster 92 News HD, where she hosted the current affairs programme Muqabil.
She presented the show alongside journalist Amir Mateen and had also worked on air with journalist Rauf Klasra.
In a tribute posted on X, Mateen said he and Ahsan had worked together for at least five years. Her death prompted an outpouring of grief among colleagues and members of Pakistan’s journalist community.
Ahsan is survived by two daughters. Her funeral prayers were held in Rawalpindi on Monday.
According to the first information report (FIR), cited by Pakistan’s HUM English, Ahsan’s brother, Khurram Ahmed, told police that another of his sisters heard a gunshot from the bedroom and rushed inside.
She allegedly found Ahsan lying on the floor and saw her husband holding a pistol, according to the complaint.
Ahsan’s mother and sister were reportedly in the garden when the incident occurred. Police said the journalist had sustained a gunshot wound below her neck.
Forensic investigators recovered a .30-bore pistol and a spent cartridge case from the scene. A domestic worker reportedly told police that Tahir had initially described the shooting as accidental.
Investigators also said Tahir could not produce a valid licence or permit for the firearm.
Police registered a murder case following a complaint by Ahsan’s brother, Khurram Ahmed, under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and provisions of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance, 2015.
Ahmed later told Pakistan’s ARY News that he was withdrawing his complaint, saying he believed the shooting may have been accidental. However, police have said that any decision on withdrawing the case or accepting a compromise rests with the trial court.
Tahir was initially remanded to police custody for questioning. On November 10, a Rawalpindi court extended his physical remand by four days and directed investigators to produce him again on November 13.
Police are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including forensic evidence. The investigation has not publicly established how the firearm was discharged.
Ahsan’s death also prompted a response from Pakistan’s political establishment.
First Lady expressed “deep sadness over the killing” and condemned the violence.
She called for a “thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable”.
The investigation into the journalist’s death is ongoing.
