‘Fearless’ Afghan ex-lawmaker Nabizada shot dead by gunmen; ‘she chose to stay and fight’
- Mursal Nabizada, 32, a member of parliament in the US-backed government that was overthrown by Taliban in 2021, was killed in a nighttime attack on her home
- A bodyguard also died and a brother was injured; ‘despite being offered the chance to leave Afghanistan, she chose to stay and fight for her people’, a colleague said
Gunmen shot dead an Afghan former lawmaker and one of her bodyguards in the capital Kabul in a nighttime attack at her home, police said on Sunday.
Mursal Nabizada had been a member of parliament in the US-backed government that was overthrown by the Taliban in August 2021.
“Nabizada, along with one of her bodyguards, was shot dead at her house,” Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said.
“The security forces have started a serious investigation into the incident,” he said, adding that a brother of the former lawmaker was also wounded in the attack, which took place during the night between Saturday and Sunday.
Nabizada was a “fearless champion for Afghanistan”, former lawmaker Mariam Solaimankhil said on Twitter.
“A true trailblazer – strong, outspoken woman who stood for what she believed in, even in the face of danger,” she wrote.
“Despite being offered the chance to leave Afghanistan, she chose to stay and fight for her people,” she added.