KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Dawood Shah, the husband of former Afghan parliamentarian Fariba Kakar, was shot dead in his home in Kandahar city on Tuesday evening, local sources said.
The victim, who had recently returned from Canada, was killed by unidentified armed individuals, according to the sources. The motive for the attack remains unclear, and local Taliban authorities have not commented.
The killing comes amid a rise in targeted attacks and violent crimes across Afghanistan. At least four similar incidents were reported in different parts of the country over the past week.
In his latest report released Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres recorded 2,658 safety and security incidents across Afghanistan between May 1 and July 31, 2025, a 9% increase compared with the same period last year.
Rights groups and activists say the increase in killings and violent crimes highlights the Taliban’s failure to provide the security and stability they pledged after returning to power in 2021. They also accuse the authorities of neglecting proper investigations into these incidents.
