Pindi court extends husband's physical remand by four days in journalist Rabia Ahsan's murder case

Directs police to complete the investigation and produce the suspect again on November 13

RAWALPINDI:

A Rawalpindi court on Tuesday extended the physical remand of Ahsan Tahir, husband of television anchorperson and journalist Rabia Ahsan, by four days in connection with her murder.

Rabia, a 41-year-old anchorperson associated with 92 News, was found shot dead at her home in Rawalpindi on Sunday. Her husband was taken into custody in connection with the incident, which prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues and members of the journalist community.

The court on Monday had granted police a one-day physical remand of the suspect.

Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Nasrullah Wattoo approved the extension after the investigating officer sought 10 days of further remand for interrogation.

The court directed police to complete the investigation and produce the suspect before it again on November 13.

It also directed the investigating officer to submit a complete investigation report and the post-mortem report at the next hearing. No lawyer appeared on behalf of the suspect.

Following the hearing, police took Ahsan back to the police station.

Read More: Anchorperson shot dead at home in Rawalpindi, husband arrested

The case was registered at the police station on the complaint of Rabia's brother, Khurram Ahmed, who accused Ahsan of shooting his sister at their home in Gulshanabad Sector II, on Adiala Road, on Sunday.

According to the FIR, Rabia's mother and sister were in the lawn at around 2:30pm when they heard a gunshot from the bedroom. Her sister rushed inside and found Rabia lying on the floor in a pool of blood, while Ahsan was holding a pistol.

The FIR stated that Ahsan told police he had fired at his wife with the same weapon. Police said he had failed to produce a licence or permit for the pistol. The case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 13(2)(a) of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance.

Rabia had presented her last programme on a mainstream television channel on Saturday night. Police sources said her mother and sisters had also been at the house when the incident occurred.

The suspect was a grade-18 officer at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, according to police sources. Rabia was survived by two daughters and also ran a private salon in Islamabad.

A team from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency collected evidence from the crime scene. Her body was shifted to a hospital for a post-mortem examination.