Ex-Afghan female U.S-backed lawmaker, Mursal Nabizada, shot dead by gunmen

A former Afghanistan female legislator, Mursal Nabizada, who was described as fearless while in office, has been shot dead by gunmen alongside one of her bodyguard at her home in the capital Kabul, police said.

Nabizada was a member of parliament in the United States-backed government that was overthrown by the Taliban in August 2021, but refused all entreaties to flee the country, becoming one of the few female parliamentarians who stayed in Kabul after the Taliban takeover.

She was elected in 2019 to represent Kabul and was a member of the parliamentary defence commission and also worked at a private nongovernmental group, the Institute for Human Resources Development and Research.

Kabul Police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, who announced the assassination of Nabizada in a statement on Sunday, said the shooting happened around 3am.

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“Nabizada, along with one of her bodyguards, was shot dead at her house at about 3am on Sunday. The security forces have started a serious investigation into the incident,” Zadran said.

He added that Nabizada’s brother and a second security guard were wounded and a third security guard fled the scene with money and jewelry.

Another former female lawmaker, Mariam Solaimankhil, who reacted to the murder of Nabizada, said on Twitter that she was a “fearless champion for Afghanistan”.

“A true trailblazer – strong, outspoken woman who stood for what she believed in, even in the face of danger.

“Despite being offered the chance to leave Afghanistan, she chose to stay and fight for her people,” Solaimankhil wrote.

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