The Rabia Ahsan case has moved into forensic testing after Rawalpindi police took her husband, Ahsan, who is named as the suspect, to Lahore for a polygraph test. The alleged murder of the anchor is under investigation, and early findings from her phones and chats have shown no sign of a dispute between the couple. Police have not yet announced the result of the polygraph test.
Polygraph test and lab samples
A Rawalpindi police team travelled to Lahore with Ahsan for a polygraph test, a procedure that records a person's physical responses while they answer questions. According to investigation sources, the team also took samples collected from the crime scene and the post-mortem examination. These samples will be handed over to the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis, and a DNA test on Ahsan will be carried out in Lahore. DNA testing compares genetic profiles taken from a person with material found in evidence.
Phones and chat records
Police sources said three mobile phones belonging to Rabia Ahsan will be examined forensically. None of the three phones had a password or security code, and a first analysis of the devices has been completed. Investigators have also obtained chat records between Rabia and her husband, and the initial analysis found no sign of a conflict or enmity between them.
Police sources also said they obtained a contact and chat between Rabia and a federal minister, and no further details were given. Jail sources said that, as a journalist, she had contact with several prominent people.
What comes next
The forensic report on the three phones will be made part of the challan, the charge sheet that police file in court once an investigation is complete. The polygraph, DNA and laboratory results are still pending, and none has been announced. Alleged means the killing has been reported but has not yet been proven in court. For political reaction to the killing, readers can see our earlier report on Sherry Rehman's call for a transparent probe.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Rawalpindi police ne anchor Rabia Ahsan ke mabeena qatl ke case mein unke shohar Ahsan ko polygraph test ke liye Lahore le gayi hai. Unke teen mobile phones ki forensic jaanch hogi aur Ahsan ka DNA test bhi karaya jayega. Ab tak phones ke ibtidaai tajziye mein koi jhagda ya dushmani ke saboot nahi mile. Natije abhi aana baaqi hain, is liye ahem faislay intezar ke baad honge.
