Popular news anchor Rabia Ahsan shot dead at home; probe ongoing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani news presenter Rabia Ahsan (41) was found dead, having sustained gunshot wounds. Ahsan was found lying dead in a pool of blood at her residence in Rawalpindi. Police took her husband, Ahsan Tahir, into custody in connection with the incident; a firearm was also recovered from the house.

The incident occurred last Sunday around 3:00 PM, when Rabia was shot in her bedroom. At the time, Ahsan’s mother and sister were outside the house. Rabia’s sister, Alvina, stated to the police that upon hearing the sound of a gunshot, they rushed into the room and found Rabia lying in a pool of blood, with Ahsan standing nearby holding a gun.

Rabiya sustained gunshot wounds below her neck and on the right side of her back. Ahsan initially told the police that the gun had gone off accidentally; however, he later confessed to murder. The Punjab Forensic Science Authority recovered the weapon used in the killing—a .30-bore pistol—along with ammunition from the scene.

During questioning, Tahir failed to produce a license or permit for the pistol. Rabia worked for the channel '92 News', while Ahsan serves as a Deputy Director at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. The couple has two children. The police registered a case of murder and have initiated an investigation into the incident.