Pakistani TV Anchor Rabia Ahsan Shot Dead at Home in Rawalpindi

Islamabad, November 9: Pakistani television anchor and programme host Rabia Ahsan was shot dead at her residence in Rawalpindi, triggering a police investigation. Authorities have detained her husband and seized the suspected weapon in connection with the incident.According to Dawn, police discovered Ahsan’s body at her residence in the Gulshanabad area on Sunday. She was associated with a local private television channel as an anchor and programme host.Husband Detained, Suspected Weapon SeizedCity Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera confirmed that Ahsan’s husband had been taken into custody. Police also seized the suspected weapon as part of the investigation.Sukhera visited the crime scene alongside senior police officers, including the SSP Operations and SSP Investigations, as well as forensic experts.According to the CPO, a male domestic worker present at the residence told investigators that Ahsan’s husband had claimed the gunshot was accidental.Teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) were collecting evidence from the scene. The body was subsequently shifted to a hospital for post-mortem examination.Police said a case was being registered and that the incident would be investigated thoroughly.Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari Condemns KillingMeanwhile, Pakistan’s First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over Ahsan’s death and strongly condemned the incident.In a statement issued by the Presidency, she called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation, urging authorities to establish the facts and ensure accountability.Bhutto-Zardari also expressed concern over what she described as a disturbing pattern of killings involving professional women in the same metropolitan area.She referred to the August murder of Hina Javed, a 45-year-old digital media executive who was found dead at her Rawalpindi residence with signs of torture.The First Lady noted that investigators had yet to announce the outcome of Javed’s case.Authorities are continuing their investigation into Ahsan’s killing.