Pakistani television anchor Rabia Ahsan has been found shot dead at her home in Rawalpindi, and her husband has been taken into custody, with police registering a case of murder.
Ahsan, 41, was shot in her bedroom at around 3 p.m. on Sunday, according to a copy of the First Information Report circulated on social media, the Daily Mirror reported at 9.27 a.m. on Wednesday, carrying an NDTV account.
Her mother and sister, who lived with her, were in the lawn at the time. After hearing the gunshot her sister, Alwina, went to the bedroom and found Ahsan on the floor in a pool of blood, with her husband holding a pistol.
The husband, Ahsan Tahir, confessed to killing her, the Pakistani outlet Samaa reported. A male domestic worker at the house told police that Tahir had said the shot was fired accidentally, according to Dawn.
The physical evidence
The Punjab Forensic Science Authority recovered the weapon — a .30-bore pistol — and ammunition from the scene. Tahir failed to produce a valid licence or permit for the pistol when questioned.
On reaching the scene, police carried out an external examination of the body and found a bullet wound below her neck and another on the right side of her back. The filing records two wounds while describing a single gunshot, and does not reconcile the two.
A case of murder under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered on the basis of the account given and the circumstances of the incident. The investigation is continuing.
Official response
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari condemned the killing and called for an impartial inquiry. A statement from the Presidency said she “has expressed deep sadness over the killing of journalist Rabia Ahsan and strongly condemned the violence”, and that she “called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable”.
She also pointed to an unresolved case. “Less than three months ago, Hina Javed was killed and the outcome of the investigation into her case is still awaited. Such incidents demand serious attention and accountability. Women must be able to live and work without fear for their lives,” she said.
Ahsan was a mother of two daughters and worked for 92 News. Her husband is a deputy director at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, a state body for Pakistanis working abroad.
Timing and sourcing
The killing took place on Sunday, 8 November. The Daily Mirror filed its account on Wednesday 11 November, three days later — the report is current but the event is not from today.
This story rests on a single verified source. The Daily Mirror’s filing reproduces an NDTV report which itself draws on the FIR, Samaa and Dawn; the article carries no reporter byline. Searches of other verified newsrooms found no Sri Lankan or international outlet in this desk’s verified set carrying the same story. The confession, in particular, is reported by Samaa via NDTV and has not been confirmed by police on the record in any filing available here.
Not reported
Nothing states whether Tahir has been formally charged or produced before a court, whether he has legal representation, or whether he maintains the accidental-discharge account he reportedly gave the domestic worker. No post-mortem finding is reported, and no police officer is quoted by name. The filing does not say whether there was any history of complaints or prior police involvement at the address.
