A Rawalpindi court extended Ahsan Tahir’s police remand as investigators examine the fatal shooting of the 41-year-old journalist.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Pakistani television anchor Rabia Ahsan, 41, was found shot dead inside her Rawalpindi home Sunday, and her husband was taken into custody as police opened a murder investigation into circumstances that authorities have not yet publicly determined.
Ahsan, an anchor associated with Urdu-language broadcaster 92 News, was found in a bedroom at the family home in the Gulshanabad area along Adiala Road. Police recovered a pistol from the scene and detained her husband, Ahsan Tahir. Investigators have said Tahir initially claimed that the firearm discharged accidentally. Police have not publicly concluded whether the shooting was accidental or deliberate.
The case moved forward Tuesday when a Rawalpindi court extended Tahir’s physical remand by four days. Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Nasrullah Wattoo granted the extension after an investigating officer requested additional time for questioning. The court directed police to complete their investigation and produce Tahir again on Nov. 13, along with a complete investigation report and Ahsan’s post-mortem report.
The case was registered after a complaint from Ahsan’s brother, Khurram Ahmed, who accused Tahir of shooting his sister. According to the first information report cited by Pakistani media, Ahsan’s mother and sister were outside in the lawn at about 2:30 p.m. when they heard a gunshot from the bedroom. Her sister went inside and found Ahsan on the floor while Tahir was holding a pistol, the report said.
The FIR said Tahir told police he had fired the weapon. Other police accounts reported that he claimed he did not intend to shoot his wife and that the gun discharged accidentally. Authorities also said he was unable to produce a license or permit for the pistol. The case was registered under Pakistan’s murder law and a provision of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance. Those allegations remain under investigation, and Tahir has not been convicted of a crime in connection with Ahsan’s death.
Forensic personnel collected evidence from the home after the shooting, while Ahsan’s body was taken to a hospital for a post-mortem examination. Rawalpindi City Police Officer Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera said police recovered the weapon and would conduct the investigation on its merits. Police have not publicly announced a final forensic finding establishing exactly how the shooting occurred.
Ahsan had presented her final television program Saturday night, one day before her death. She was a longtime broadcast journalist whose death prompted public tributes from colleagues and other members of Pakistan’s media community. Reports said she was the mother of two daughters and also operated a salon in Islamabad.
Senior anchor Absa Komal described Ahsan as a respected journalist and mother while expressing grief over the children she left behind. Journalist Rauf Klasra also mourned his former television colleague and offered condolences to her family. Other journalists remembered Ahsan as a dedicated broadcaster who had built her career through years of work in Pakistani television.
Pakistan’s first lady, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, also expressed sorrow over Ahsan’s death and called for a transparent investigation and accountability. The case has drawn wider attention as police work to determine whether the shooting was intentional and to establish the circumstances surrounding the weapon recovered at the home.
Tahir remained in police custody Tuesday under the court-approved remand. Investigators were ordered to return him to court Nov. 13 and provide the investigation and post-mortem reports, making those proceedings the next confirmed step in the case.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2026.