Pakistani police have launched a murder investigation after journalist Rabia Ahsan was found shot dead inside her residence in Rawalpindi on Sunday. Police have taken her husband into custody in connection with the incident, an official said. Ahsan was discovered in the bedroom of her home on Adiala Road with a gunshot wound below her neck, Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera told reporters.
She worked as an anchor at 92 News, a prominent private Urdu-language news channel in Pakistan. "Her body was found here in the bedroom with a gunshot wound on the front side below the neck," Sukhera said. Police detained her husband, identified as Ahsan, and recovered a firearm from the room, the official said. Forensic teams have also collected evidence from the scene.
"Initially, we have recovered the weapon of offense used in the crime from the room," Sukhera said, adding that a first information report (FIR), or formal complaint, was being registered to begin legal proceedings. A police spokesperson said Sukhera arrived at the residence shortly after receiving information about the shooting. Senior police officials, including the heads of operations and investigation, were also present, according to a police statement.
Teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency were collecting evidence, while Ahsan's body was being transferred to a hospital for a post-mortem examination, the spokesperson said. "An impartial investigation will be ensured," the spokesperson quoted Sukhera as saying. Local media reports, citing police sources, said the husband told investigators that the firearm had discharged accidentally, resulting in his wife's death.
The reports also identified Ahsan as a Grade 18 government employee working at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. The couple reportedly have two daughters. According to the reports, Ahsan's mother and sisters were present at the house when the shooting occurred. The couple reportedly had no known marital disputes. However, a Rawalpindi police spokesperson told Arab News that the suspect had not yet been questioned. Investigators would not reach any conclusions until the inquiry was completed, the spokesperson said.
Police have not publicly established the circumstances surrounding the shooting or determined whether it was accidental or deliberate. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over Ahsan's death, according to a statement shared by the president's office on social media platform X. "She called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable," the statement said.
Bhutto-Zardari also referred to the murder of Hina Javed, who was found dead at her Rawalpindi residence in August. Javed's family has accused her husband and father-in-law of being complicit in the alleged murder. A high-level investigation team examining Javed's death ruled out her husband's involvement last month, citing forensic evidence that implicated a domestic worker. "Such incidents demand serious attention and accountability," the statement said. “Women must be able to live and work without fear for their lives.”
