The husband of Pakistani television anchor Rabiya Ahsan was arrested Sunday after she was found shot in the head at her home in Rawalpindi, officials said.
Ahsan, 41, was reportedly killed inside the house, Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari said. She hosted programs on 92 News and was known as a committed journalist. She also regularly shared videos about national affairs on social media.
Authorities identified her husband as Ahsan Tahir Khan. Bokhari said he told officials he had been handling a firearm at home when it went off accidentally. Khan reportedly works for the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, a government agency serving Pakistanis who live abroad.
Police are preparing to file a murder case against him, local media reported. Officers said they recovered the suspected weapon, while Ahsan’s body was taken to a hospital for a postmortem examination. Rawalpindi police confirmed that a woman had died in a shooting Sunday but did not initially release her identity.
Her death prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues and others in Pakistan’s journalism community. One former colleague wrote on social media that they were deeply saddened by the loss of their former coworker.
The Pakistani presidency also condemned the killing and called for a transparent investigation. A statement said First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was deeply saddened by Ahsan’s death and denounced the violence.
The first lady also raised concern about what she described as a troubling pattern of professional women being targeted and allegedly killed by their husbands in the same metropolitan area. She cited the death of media executive Hina Javed, who was found dead with signs of torture three months ago. Her husband and a domestic worker were reportedly arrested in connection with that case, according to Dawn.
“These incidents demand serious attention and accountability,” the presidency said, adding that women should be able to live and work without fear for their lives.
