RAWALPINDI: Anchorperson Rabia Ahsan was found shot dead at her home in the Gulshanabad area of Rawalpindi on Sunday, police said.

In a statement, City Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera said Ahsan’s husband was taken into custody and the suspected weapon was seized.

He added that an investigation has been launched.

CPO Sukhera, along with the senior superintendent of police (SSP) operations and the SSP investigations, arrived at the scene with a team of forensic experts to inspect the crime scene.

As per the statement, a male domestic worker at their house informed the police that the victim’s husband said the gunshot had been fired accidentally.

CPO Sukhera said that Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) teams were collecting evidence from the scene of the incident, while the body was being taken to the hospital for postmortem examination.

Sukhera said that a case of the incident was being registered, adding that an investigation on merit will be ensured.

While investigation into the motive was under way, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari “expressed deep sadness over the killing” and “strongly condemned the violence”.

She called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation to establish the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable, a statement by the Presidency said.

She also expressed dismay over the “disturbing pattern of killing of another professional woman in the same metropolitan area”.

Aseefa recalled the murder case of Hina Javed, a 45-year-old digital media executive who was found dead at her Rawalpindi residence in August with signs of torture.

“Such incidents demand serious attention and accountability. Women must be able to live and work without fear for their lives,” she stressed.

The First Lady noted that the outcome of the investigation into Hina’s case was still awaited. According to a DNA analysis report, DNA samples of Hina’s domestic servant matched postmortem swabs collected from her body, while her husband’s DNA also matched samples taken from multiple items at the crime scene.

In a subsequent comment, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had noted that “DNA test results and polygraph test suggest that the murder and rape were committed by the servant; however the investigation is ongoing”.

On Oct 29, Aseefa had met with Hina’s family at the Parliament and called for the family’s demand of a judicial commission to be “given due consideration”.