Former woman MP shot dead in Afghanistan

New Delhi, January 15

A former Afghan female lawmaker who refused to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover was shot dead along with her bodyguard by unidentified assailants in Kabul late Saturday night. This is the first time a lawmaker from the previous administration has been killed in the city since the takeover.

Mursal Nabizada (32), extremely critical of the Taliban’s policies, was elected MP under the previous western-backed government from a constituency in Nangarhar district, considered the base of the Islamic State (IS).

She was shot in the head and chest. The killing comes against the backdrop of increased terror incidents including suicide attacks, targeted killings and bombings that have killed Afghan servicemen and civilians.

Nabizada was a graduate in business administration and did her schooling in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Kabul police chief Molvi Hamidullah Khalid said Nabizada and her guard were shot dead around 3 am in the same room. Her brother and a second security guard were injured while a third guard fled with money and jewellery.