92 News Anchor Rabeeha Ahsan Dies of Gunshot in Rawalpindi; Husband Detained

RAWALPINDI: Rabeeha Ahsan, an anchor with the private channel 92 News, was found dead from a gunshot wound in the bedroom of her home on Edialah Road on Sunday. Police have taken her husband into custody and begun a murder investigation.

City Police Officer Rawalpindi Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera said the woman had a gunshot wound on the front of her body, just below the neck. Police also recovered a weapon from the room. Teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency collected evidence from the scene, and the body was taken to hospital for a post-mortem examination.

According to police sources, the accused, Ahsan, stated in his initial statement that the weapon went off accidentally and the bullet struck his wife. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the accused claimed he was playing with the weapon. Police are investigating this claim. A spokesperson for Rawalpindi Police said no conclusion would be drawn until the investigation was complete, and police have not confirmed whether the incident was an accident or a deliberate killing.

Police sources said the victim’s mother and sisters were at home at the time of the incident. The accused is a Grade 18 officer with the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. Rabeeha Ahsan has two daughters. Police said a murder case is being registered against the accused.

Sukhera assured that the investigation would be impartial. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari expressed regret over the incident and called for a transparent and impartial inquiry and for those responsible to be held accountable.

The incident has cast a shadow of grief over journalistic circles. Fellow journalists expressed sorrow at Rabeeha Ahsan’s death and demanded justice.