TV news anchor and talk show host Malala Maiwand killed

A female journalist has been shot dead in eastern Afghanistan.

Enikaas TV news anchor and talk show host Malala Maiwand was shot and killed when unknown armed men attacked her vehicle in Arabano Golaye of Jalalabad on Thursday. As per reports, Malala Maiwand was on her way to work when she was attacked and her driver, Mohammad Tahir, was also killed.

Malala Maiwand, was a reporter for radio and television broadcaster Enikas and was a women’s rights activist who had spoken publicly about the challenges facing female journalists in Afghanistan. She was a member of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IWART). 

Her mother, who was also an activist, was killed by unknown gunmen five years ago, according to foreign media reports.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has called for measures to improve the safety of journalists following the killing of journalist and women’s rights activist Malala Maiwand and her driver Mohammad Tahir in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on 10 December

The killings come after Nato and the EU issued a statement condemning recent targeted killings in Afghanistan.

Nai, an organisation that supports media in Afghanistan, said in a statement: "With the killing of Malalai, the working field for female journalists is getting smaller and journalists may not dare to continue their jobs the way they were doing before."

The violence comes as talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban are continuing in Doha, Qatar. The two sides have made some progress on preliminary issues but are yet to begin discussing a ceasefire or power-sharing agreement.

British ambassador to Afghanistan, Alison Blake called for Thursday's murders to be investigated. "We join in expressing our condolences and condemnation of the murders of journalist Malala Maiwand and her driver this morning ," she wrote.

In 2020, as many as 10 Afghan journalists have been killed according to reports.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) condemned the killings.