ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – A prominent foreign woman journalist, working for a British news agency, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her F-8 Sector office-cum-residence in Islamabad on Monday, police officials said.

Maria Golovnina, a Russian-Japanese, had been working for Reuters as the agency’s bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan for the past year and a half. The cause of her death could not be determined immediately.

Her colleagues said she had fallen unconscious in the bathroom of her office after which she was rushed to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where she was pronounced as brought dead.

After the post-mortem, police officials say, they would be able to ascertain whether or not it was a natural death although it appeared to be one, as Golovnina’s body did not bear any torture marks.

They also say the possibility of homicide could not be ruled out. Local media outlets suspect there might be another angle to the incident.

Golovnina's husband has reportedly asked the doctors to not carry out an autopsy on her body.

Reuters's statement:

"We are saddened to announce that Maria Golovnina, Reuters Bureau Chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, passed away on Monday. She was 34. Maria fell unconscious in the Islamabad bureau. An ambulance arrived quickly and she was rushed to Kulsum International Hospital, but medical teams were unable to save her.

Maria was a superb journalist with a long and varied career at Reuters. A fluent Japanese and Russian speaker, she joined Reuters in Tokyo in 2001 and subsequently worked in postings around the world including London, Singapore, Moscow, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2013, Maria became Bureau Chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and led her team through an impressive run of exclusives and insights. Her talents, energy and can-do spirit will be sorely missed."

It is a developing story...