Mursal Nabizada: Gunmen kill former Afghan MP at home in Kabul

Afghan police have reported that a former member of the Afghan Parliament and her bodyguard were killed in a shooting at her residence in Kabul, the nation’s capital.

After the Taliban took power in August 2021, Mursal Nabizada, then 32 years old, was one of the few female members of parliament to remain in Kabul.

During the attack that took place on Sunday, her brother and another security guard both received injuries.

Ms. Mursal Nabizada’s former coworkers lauded her as a “fearless warrior for Afghanistan” after she refused to leave the nation despite having the opportunity to do so.

Women have been excluded from almost all aspects of public life ever since the Taliban were reinstated to power in 2021.

According to a statement made by Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran, security authorities have begun an intensive investigation into the incident.

Mariam Solaimankhil, who served as a lawmaker in the past, referred to Ms.Mursal Nabizada as “a true trailblazer.” She described her as “a powerful, vocal lady who stood for what she believed in, even in the face of danger.”

“Despite being offered the opportunity to escape Afghanistan, she decided to stay and fight for her people,” she posted on Twitter. “Despite being offered the option to leave Afghanistan…”

Ms. Mursal Nabizada, originally from the province of Nangarhar in the country’s east, was elected as a member of parliament from Kabul in 2018, and she maintained her position until the Taliban took power.

In addition to her work at the Institute for Human Resources Development and Research, she served on the Parliamentary Defence Commission.

In response to the murder, Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, stated, “I am sorry and indignant, and I want the world to know!”

“She was murdered in the dead of night, but the Taliban construct their system of gender apartheid under the bright light of day.”

Abdullah Abdullah, a former top official in Afghanistan’s former administration that was backed by the West, expressed his sorrow for the passing of Ms. Nabizada and expressed his hope that those responsible would be held accountable.

He referred to her as a “representative and servant of the people” in his description of her.

After the American-led invasion of Afghanistan about two decades ago, many women who had prominent professional roles in the country fled the country after the Taliban returned to power.