Former bodyguard arrested over shooting of Afghan woman ex-MP

17 February 2023 - 10:26
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar
The killing has raised concern about the security of women and led to calls from diplomats and rights groups for the Taliban to ensure former government officials are protected. File photo.
Image: REUTERS/Raul Cadenas de la Vega The killing has raised concern about the security of women and led to calls from diplomats and rights groups for the Taliban to ensure former government officials are protected. File photo.

Afghan police have arrested the former bodyguard of a female member of parliament who was fatally shot at her home in Kabul last month, the Taliban administration said on Friday.

The case has raised concern about the security of women and led to calls from diplomats and rights groups for the Taliban to ensure former government officials are protected.

Gunmen killed Mursal Nabizada, a lawmaker during the previous foreign-backed government, and her bodyguard in an attack on her home in mid-January.

Police said they had arrested a former guard who had confessed to the crime, but the motive was not clear.

“Further investigations are under way to determine the factors and other aspects of the crime,” said Kabul police, who are run by the Taliban administration.

Nabizada had been a lawmaker until the Taliban took over as US-led foreign forces withdrew in 2021 and when many politicians fled the country.

The Taliban have said they are focused on making the country secure and encouraging Afghans who had left to return.

Reuters