- WEB DESK
- November 9, 2026
‘How many more?’: Rabiya Ahsan’s death triggers grief, renewed calls to confront violence against women
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- WEB DESK
- November 9, 2026
Shock over the death of television anchor Rabiya Ahsan has turned into an outpouring of grief and anger, with fellow journalists remembering a colleague, friend and mother while calling for accountability and renewed action against violence faced by women in Pakistan.
Rabiya, associated with 92 News, was found shot dead at her Rawalpindi home on Sunday. Her husband has since been booked for murder on the complaint of her brother. The First Information Report (FIR) alleges he shot her inside their bedroom, while police continue to investigate the circumstances and motive. The allegation has yet to be tested in court.
For many who knew Rabiya professionally, reactions focused as much on the life she leaves behind as on the circumstances of her death.
Journalist Absa Komal remembered her as a respected anchor, dedicated journalist and mother, saying she was struggling to find words and expressing concern for Rabiya’s children. She also hoped the family would not have to wait years for justice.
Rauf Klasra described her death as “shocking and sickening”, while remembering the two young daughters who have lost their mother.
Amir Mateen recalled working alongside Rabiya for around five years, describing her as a broadcaster who managed a demanding professional career alongside family responsibilities and remained positive despite the pressures she faced.
Senator Sherry Rehman also called for an immediate, impartial investigation, saying women should not have to fear for their lives within their own homes. MNA Sharmila Farooqi also called the incident a ‘horrific reminder’.
Provincial Minister of Punjab for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari also took notice of the incident.
Other journalists placed her death within a wider conversation about women’s safety.
A wider pattern of violence
The reaction comes against troubling national figures on violence against women.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) latest State of Human Rights report, citing National Police Bureau data for 2025, recorded at least 1,332 murders linked to domestic violence, alongside 2,912 cases of battery. It also recorded 470 women killed in so-called honour crimes during the year.
Earlier police data analysed by the Sustainable Social Development Organization showed 32,617 reported gender-based violence cases nationwide in 2024, including 2,238 domestic violence cases and 547 honour killings. The organisation found that only 1.3 percent of recorded domestic violence cases resulted in convictions.
The scale may also be larger than police figures suggest. The Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18 found that 34 percent of ever-married women aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical, sexual or emotional spousal violence, while 56 percent of women who had experienced physical or sexual violence had neither sought help nor told anyone.
As investigators work to establish what happened inside Ahsan’s home, the response to her death has moved beyond mourning one journalist. For many of her colleagues, it has again raised the question of how many women must die before violence against them is treated with the urgency they believe it demands.
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