Anchorperson Rabia Ahsan’s husband gets four more days in police custody

In Rawalpindi, a court has extended Ahsan Tahir, husband of television anchorperson Rabia Ahsan, to an additional four days in police custody for questioning in her murder case. Rabia, a 41-year-old 92 News anchorperson, was found shot dead at her home last week. Her husband was taken into custody following the incident, which deeply saddened colleagues and members of the journalism community.

Ahsan appeared before Senior Civil Judge Nasrullah Wattoo, who approved the extension for his polygraph test, scheduled for November 16, at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in Lahore. Judge Wattoo emphasized that the test is in both Ahsan's and Rabia's best interests, calling her death a "very big family tragedy." The defense counsel had no objections to the polygraph test.

Judge Wattoo questioned Ahsan about the pistol, its magazine, and its storage, advising against keeping an empty pistol at home. The case was registered at Sadar Bairuni Police Station, with Rabia's brother, Khurram Ahmed, filing the complaint. The FIR stated that Rabia's mother and sister heard a gunshot around 2:30 pm, discovering Rabia lying in a pool of blood, while Ahsan was holding a pistol.

Police found Ahsan guilty of using a pistol without a license, leading to the registration of the case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 13(2)(a) of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance. Ahsan is a grade-18 officer at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. Rabia, who survived two daughters and operated a private salon in Islamabad, is remembered by her community.