Killing of Afghan female police officer draws wide condemnation

The fatal attack on a female police officer by unknown armed men in Taliban former stronghold, the southern Helmand province, over weekend has drawn wide condemnation, local media reported Wednesday. Unidentified armed men, according to local media, opened fire on female police officer Negar, 38, in Helmand's provincial capital Lashkar Gah on Sunday and badly injured her. Negar, who served as sub-inspector in the troubled Helmand province, succumbed to her injuries a day later on Monday. No one has claimed responsibility for the fatal attack. However, Omar Zawak, the spokesman for Helmand's Governor, put the attack on the enemies of peace, a term used by Afghan officials against Taliban militants, but the armed outfit has yet to comment. The Interior Ministry has strongly condemned the deadly attack on female police officer Negar, according to a newspaper, the daily Mandegar. Citing the Interior Ministry spokesman, Sediq Sediqi the Daily Mandegar said That around 2,200 female police have been serving within the framework of the National Police in the country. Sediqi, according to the newspaper, also said that the number of female police personnel will be doubled within months. People from all walks of life, according to Afghan media reports, have strongly denounced the attack on female police officer Negar, calling on the government to bring to justice those behind the brutal murder. Another female police officer Islam Bibi was assassinated by unknown men in Helmand province two months ago. Joining Afghans in condemning the bloody offensive, the United Nations has also condemned attack on female police personnel in Afghanistan. "Violence against women in Afghanistan is pervasive and increasing," an English newspaper the Daily Outlook quoted Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the executive director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, as saying. Expressing concern over the targeted killing of female officials, the newspaper added that she also denounced the killing of a top woman police officer, Negar, 38 in Helmand province. "Recent cases of targeted killings point to the urgent need to guarantee women and girls'rights in Afghanistan," the UN official asserted, according to the newspaper.