Rabia's family denies dropping case

Anchorperson's husband remanded in police custody for one day

RAWALPINDI:

A court has granted one-day physical remand of Ahsan Tahir, husband of TV anchorperson Rabiya Ahsan, in the murder case, directing police to produce the suspect before it again on November 10.

Rabiya's brother and complainant in the case, Khurram Ahmed, denied reports that the family had decided to withdraw the case, saying no such decision had been taken.

Rabiya Ahsan's funeral prayers were offered at the Gulshanabad Central Jamia Mosque on Sunday, after which she was buried in Gulshanabad.

The Sadar Bairooni police had registered FIR No. 1231/26 on the complaint of Khurram Ahmed and formally arrested Ahsan Tahir. The case includes Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (murder) and Section 13(2)(a) of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance.

In the FIR, Khurram Ahmed alleged that on November 8, at around 2:30pm, Ahsan Tahir fired at his sister Rabiya inside their house in Sector Two, Gulshanabad, on Adiala Road.

According to the FIR, Rabiya's mother and sister were in the house's lawn at the time. Hearing a gunshot from the bedroom, Rabiya's sister rushed into the room and found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood, while Ahsan Tahir was holding a pistol.

The FIR states that the police forensic team collected evidence from the crime scene and took a .30-bore pistol and bullets into custody.

According to the police account recorded in the FIR, Ahsan Tahir told investigators that he had fired at his wife with the same pistol.

Police said the suspect could not produce a licence or permit for the weapon.

Rabiya's body had been shifted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Speaking off camera to media representatives outside Rabiya's house, Khurram Ahmed said the report attributed to him about withdrawing the case was incorrect.

He said he was on his way when the incident occurred and received a phone call informing him of his sister's death. Rabiya leaves behind two daughters. Khurram said their mother was in deep shock and that he had not even been able to meet her since the incident.

Recalling his sister, he said, "How can we believe that our sister is no longer in this world?" Khurram Ahmed said his sister and brother-in-law had been living a happy life.

According to him, a domestic employee had told police that the gunshot was fired in the bedroom. Police had taken the employee with them and later released him.

Khurram said the family still did not know exactly what had happened inside the room and urged police to investigate the incident and explain how the gun had been fired.

"How can I forgive the unjust killing of my sister?" he said.

He added that if the investigation established that his sister had been unlawfully killed, the case should proceed. Rabiya Ahsan's co-host Aamir Mateen, in a post on X, wrote: "Does our responsibility end at informing people about the time and place of the funeral?"