Rawalpindi: A local court on Monday granted police a two day physical remand of Ahsan, the husband of television anchorperson Rabia Ahsan, who was found shot dead at her home in Gulshanabad on Sunday.
Area Magistrate Talat Waheed approved the request after police presented the suspect before the court and sought additional time to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. The magistrate directed investigators to produce Ahsan before the court when the remand period expires.
Rabia's husband was arrested following a complaint lodged by her brother. Police subsequently registered a first information report (FIR) at Saddar Beruni police station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with murder, and Section 2 A of the Punjab Arms Amendment Ordinance, 2015.
City Police Officer Hassan Sukhera said on Sunday that the anchorperson had been found with a gunshot wound below her neck.
According to police, a male domestic worker at the residence reported that Rabia's husband had claimed the firearm discharged accidentally.
Investigators are examining the circumstances of the shooting to determine what happened inside the house. The husband's reported account of an accidental discharge has not been established as fact.
The two-day remand allows police to question the suspect and gather evidence before presenting their findings to the court. The arrest and remand do not constitute a determination of guilt.
Rabia had worked in television journalism and previously co hosted a current affairs programme alongside journalists Amir Mateen and Rauf Klasra. Her death prompted expressions of grief within the media community and calls for an investigation.
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari expressed sadness over the killing and called for an impartial and transparent inquiry to establish the facts and hold those responsible accountable.
The case now centres on the evidence collected by investigators, including statements from people present at the residence and the circumstances in which the firearm was discharged.
Police have not announced a final conclusion about the sequence of events. Further proceedings will depend on the investigation and the evidence presented before the court.
