Pakistani television anchor Rabia Ahsan was found shot dead at her home in Rawalpindi on Sunday, local police said.
A local court on Monday ordered that Ahsan’s husband Ahsan Tahir be remanded to police custody for questioning.
The 41-year-old journalist was reportedly in her bedroom when a gunshot was heard at around 3pm local time on Sunday.
Her mother and sister, who lived at the house, were in the garden at the time, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
One of Ahsan’s sisters reportedly rushed towards the bedroom after hearing the shot. She found the journalist lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
Police who arrived at the property found bullet wounds below Ahsan’s neck and on the right side of her back.
Forensic investigators later recovered a .30-bore pistol and ammunition from the scene.
A domestic worker at the house told police that Mr Tahir had initially claimed the firearm went off accidentally, Dawn reported. Investigators also said he could not produce a valid licence or permit for the weapon.
A murder case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code following a complaint by Ahsan’s brother, Khurram Ahmed.
The First Lady has expressed deep sadness over the killing of journalist Rabia Ahsan and strongly 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 President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 8, 2026
She also…
However, Mr Ahmed later told Pakistan’s ARY News that he was withdrawing his complaint because he believed the shooting may have been accidental.
Police have continued their investigation and the circumstances in which the firearm was discharged have yet to be publicly established.
Mr Tahir appeared before a magistrate in Rawalpindi on Monday and was remanded to police custody.
Ahsan was a familiar face on Pakistani television and worked as a presenter for 92 News HD, where she hosted the Urdu-language current affairs programme Muqabil.
Ahsan is survived by two daughters.
Her killing has prompted reactions from members of Pakistan’s political establishment. First lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari called for an impartial investigation. In a statement, she 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”.
In August 28-year-old Pakistani TikToker Shamso Bibi was shot dead by two men in Taxila city near the capital Islamabad, amid growing concerns over violence targeting women social media creators.
Bibi, popularly known online as Ayesha Gilamana, was killed on Pakistan's Independence Day (14 August) over alleged financial disputes, her brother Niamatullah said, calling for Punjab’s chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's intervention.
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