Pakistani television presenter Rabia Ahsan was shot dead at her home in Rawalpindi on Sunday, with police taking her husband into custody as they investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, The Independent reports.

A local court on Monday ordered Ahsan’s husband, Ahsan Tahir, to be remanded to police custody for questioning.

The 41-year-old journalist was reportedly in her bedroom when a gunshot was heard at around 3pm local time. Her mother and sister, who also lived at the house, were in the garden at the time, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

One of her sisters rushed to the bedroom after hearing the gunshot and found Ahsan lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Police arriving at the scene found gunshot wounds below her neck and on the right side of her back. Forensic investigators later recovered a .30-bore pistol and ammunition from the property.

A domestic worker told police that Tahir had initially claimed the firearm went off accidentally, Dawn reported. Investigators also said he could not produce a valid licence or permit for the weapon.

A murder case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code following a complaint filed by Ahsan’s brother, Khurram Ahmed.

However, Ahmed later told Pakistan's ARY News that he was withdrawing the complaint, saying he believed the shooting may have been accidental.

Despite the withdrawal, police have continued their investigation. The circumstances surrounding the shooting have yet to be publicly established.

Tahir appeared before a magistrate in Rawalpindi on Monday and was remanded to police custody for further questioning.

Ahsan was a familiar face on Pakistani television and worked as a presenter for 92 News HD, where she hosted the Urdu-language current affairs programme Muqabil. She is survived by two daughters.

Her death has drawn reactions from Pakistan’s political establishment, with First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari calling for an impartial investigation.

In a statement, she expressed deep sadness over Ahsan’s killing and condemned the violence, urging a “thorough, impartial and transparent investigation” to establish the facts and ensure those responsible are held accountable.