The health worker, Naheed Gul, 25, was shot dead when she was returning home after performing her duty at the Basic Health Unit of Nathasi in the Khushali Toorikhel area of Mirali.
Dawn reported that the gunmen pulled her out of a rickshaw, took her to a deserted place and shot her in the head. Gul was posted as a nutritionist at the BHU, Nathasi.
North Waziristan lawmaker Mohsin Dawar condemned the murder and blamed the state for playing up 'double games' with the people of the region. He said: "The murder of Naheed exposes the lies told about the return of peace & security in Waziristan. Taliban terror requires blood of innocents & they r given the freedom to spill it. This State has not given up its double games, we recognize this & we will resist it. #JusticeForNaheed."
Meanwhile, Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen said a protest would be held against the targeted killing of Naheed.
'Targetted killings must end'
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly lawmaker Mir Kalam Wazir said the use of force won't help resolve the issues.
The voice of oppresed human being can never be repress by any crual force. Pakistani media ignore our voice against cruality but international media focus on pashtoon tahafuz movement demands. State have to understand the consequences.#JusticeForNaheed https://t.co/tM3VUV10SV
— Mir Kalam Wazir (@KalamWazir) September 22, 2020
PPP leader Farhatullah Babar said such actions must be ended as they further 'alienate people' of the tribal region.
Naheed is daughter of the nation. She belongs to Pakistan. There should be protest demonstration against her target killing in front of National Press Club Islamabad also. Failure to do so will only further alienate people of ex tribal areas, deepen their pain#JusticeForNaheed https://t.co/TgUimPmQJk
— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) September 22, 2020
A user Xmahsud questioned the law enforcer's inability to protect her.
Who should we hold responsible for Naheed’s cold blooded murder? The ‘unknown’ gunmen who shot her, or the security personnel responsible for clearing the area of ‘unknown elements’ who are busy terrorising locals instead? #JusticeForNaheed
— Xenia (@xmahsud) September 22, 2020
Nida Kirmani, who teaches at LUMS, called it 'deeply disturbing'.
The murder of Naheed Gul in Mirali is deeply disturbing. Lady health workers are on the frontlines in our battle against polio & COVID & are the most vulnerable. This is made worse by the re-emergence of the Taliban. The state must provide protection. #JusticeForNaheed
— Nida Kirmani (@NidaKirmani) September 22, 2020
Rights activist Gulalai Ismail said women were being threatened to stop working with NGOs by a local 'terrorist group'.
Naheed Gul, a healthcare worker, employed in a project of FATA Secretariate was killed by "unknown target killers", most probably a local terrorirst group in Mir Ali Waziristan, who had already threatened women to stop working with NGOs. #JusticeForNaheed
— Gulalai_Ismail (@Gulalai_Ismail) September 22, 2020
Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Malala, also condemned the incident.
This is extremely shocking that a lady health worker Nahid Gul, was brutally killed in North Waziristan while she was returning home after performing her duty.
Strongly condemned.#JusticeForNaheed @ImranKhanPTI https://t.co/EG5n8AlE3x
— Ziauddin Yousafzai (@ZiauddinY) September 22, 2020
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak lamented that the incident was ignored by mainstream media.
The so called mainstream media in Pakistan has ignored the death of lady health worker Naheed in north waziristan. Inhabitants of the periphery aren’t considered full fledged citizens. They are as marginalised in death as they are in their lives.#JusticeForNaheed
— Afrasiab Khattak (@a_siab) September 22, 2020
PTM leader Alamzaib Mehsud said it was an attempt to sabotage the polio campaign.
It is unfortunate that the polio campaign, which is of great international importance, is being sabotaged in Pashtunkhwa. The recent assassination of Naheed Bibi is part of a conspiracy to discredit our land and our nation internationally.#justicefornaheed
— AlamZaib Mahsud (@AlamzaibMahsud) September 22, 2020