ISLAMABAD: Pakistani police have launched a murder investigation after journalist Rabia Ahsan was found shot dead inside her home in the eastern city of Rawalpindi on Sunday, a police official said, taking her husband into custody.

Ahsan was found dead in the bedroom of her residence at Rawalpindi's Adiala Road with a gunshot wound below her neck, Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera told reporters.

Ahsan was an anchor at 92 News, a prominent Urdu-language Pakistani private news channel.

"Her body was found here in the bedroom with a gunshot wound on the front side below the neck," Sukhera said.

Police have taken her husband, identified as Ahsan, into custody in connection with the incident and recovered a firearm from the room, the official said. Forensic teams have collected evidence from the scene.

"Initially, we have recovered the weapon of offense used in the crime from the room," Sukhera said, adding that a first information report (FIR) or formal complaint, is being registered to initiate legal proceedings.

A police spokesperson said Sukhera had reached the scene shortly after receiving information about the shooting. Senior police officers, including the heads of operations and investigation, were also present, a police statement said.

Teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency were collecting evidence, while Ahsan's body was being shifted to hospital for a post-mortem examination, the spokesperson said.

"An impartial investigation will be ensured," the spokesperson quoted Sukhera as saying.

Local media reports, citing police sources, said the husband told investigators the firearm discharged accidentally, causing the death of his wife.

The reports also said Ahsan is a government employee of Grade 18 at the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, adding that the couple have two daughters.

The reports further said Ahsan's mother and sisters were present in the house when the shooting occurred, and that the couple had no known marital disputes.

However, a Rawalpindi police spokesperson told Arab News the suspect had yet to be questioned, and investigators would not draw conclusions before completing their inquiry.

Police have not publicly confirmed the circumstances of the shooting or established whether it was accidental or deliberate.

First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari expressed sorrow over the killing, as per a post from the president's office on social media platform X.

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

Bhutto-Zardari also mentioned the murder of Hina Javed, a woman who was found dead in her Rawalpindi residence in August. Javed's family has accused the husband and father-in-law of being complicit in the alleged murder.

A high-level investigation team probing the murder last month ruled out her husband’s involvement, citing forensic evidence implicating a domestic worker.

"Such incidents demand serious attention and accountability," the statement said. "Women must be able to live and work without fear for their lives."

Ahsan's suspected murder comes amid continuing concerns over violence against women in Pakistan, where domestic violence and gender-based killings remain persistent challenges for law enforcement.