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During the investigation, police recovered a pistol suspected to be the murder weapon. During questioning, Khan told police that the pistol went off accidentally while he was handling it.
Pak television anchor Rabia Ahsan found dead at home (Photo:ITG)
Rawalpindi,Nov 9, 2026 13:18 IST
Pakistani television anchor and programme host Rabia Ahsan was found shot dead at her residence in Rawalpindi's Gulshanabad area on Sunday. Her husband, Ahsan Tahir Khan, has confessed to the killing during initial police questioning, according to a report by Pakistan-based media outlet Samaa.
Khan was taken into custody after the incident came to light. Senior police officers visited the couple's residence along with forensic experts to inspect the crime scene. Teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) collected evidence, while Ahsan's body was shifted to a hospital for a post-mortem examination.
During the investigation, police recovered a pistol suspected to be the murder weapon, according to a report by Dawn. During questioning, Khan told police that the pistol went off accidentally while he was handling it. He further claimed that he did not know it was loaded.
Dawn also reported that a male domestic worker at the couple's residence told police that Khan had claimed the gunshot was accidental.
WHO WAS RABIA AHSAN?
Rabia Ahsan, 41, was associated with private television channel 92 News as an anchorperson and programme host. She also co-hosted a current affairs programme with senior journalists Amir Mateen and Rauf Klasra.
She was a mother of two daughters, aged 13 and 11. According to Dawn, the children were on the lawn with their maternal grandmother when the shooting took place.
Her killing triggered grief in Pakistan's journalist community, with colleagues and public figures expressing shock over her death.
Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari expressed deep sadness over the killing and called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure accountability.
She also referred to the recent killing of digital media executive Hina Javed, who was found dead at her Rawalpindi residence in August, and expressed concern over what she described as a disturbing pattern of violence against professional women in the same metropolitan area.
Aseefa stressed that women must be able to live and work without fear for their lives.
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