Marking the death of Mursal Nabizada

Today I tabled a motion in Parliament after the murder of Mursal Nabizada, a former Afghan MP.

Mursal Nabizada’s murder was deeply saddening. The presence of women like her in the Afghan parliament was a source of hope for the country. Now her death is another example of the assault women and girls have faced since the Taliban took power.

We have seen teenage girls refused education, women have barred from universities and unable to work, and the return of compulsory burqas and reinstatement of public lashings.

The UK Government has a duty to do what it can. Amongst other measures, that means providing a safe and legal route for women and girls in Afghanistan to claim asylum.

The full text of my motion is as follows:

"That this House is deeply saddened by the killing of former Afghan MP Mursal Nabizada and her bodyguard; strongly condemns the actions of their killers; calls for a full and open investigation into the incident; notes with concern the removal of women in Afghanistan from public life; and urges the Government to create an asylum route for Afghan women at risk of harm as called for by the members of the all-party Parliamentary group for Afghan Women and Girls."

Wendy Chamberlain is co-chair of the Afghan Women and Girls All-Party Parliamentary Groups, a cross-party group promoting the needs of Afghan women and girls within policy making and raising awareness across Parliament of this vulnerable group.