Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s half-brother Ahmed Wali Karzai has been assassinated by a trusted security guard of his security team. It is significant to note that such an event has occurred when the foreign troops are in the phase of departure from Afghanistan.

Ahmed Wali Karzai was the head of Kandahar provincial council. And was killed by a core member of his security team, Sardar Mohammed. The assailant was known to the slain official for nearly a decade. He commanded the checkpoints in the Zaki Sharif area, close to the Karzai family’s hometown of Karz, around five kilometers south of Kandahar.

At a news conference, Kandahar police chief Abdul Razeq said that the assailant had come to the city to meet up with Mr. Ahmed Karzai for a reason for submitting an application. “The man carried his pistol through the security checks to Wali Karzai’s room. As soon as Wali Karzai came out of bathroom, he opened fire and shot him in the head and chest,” said Mr. Razeq. Mr. Ahmed Karzai’s bodyguards subsequently killed the assassin.

Mr. Ahmed Karzai was rated as one of the most powerful individuals in southern Afghanistan. Analysts say he derived his influence from his wealth, closeness to the President, and playing power broker to an array of Pashtun tribes, besides his Popalzai clan, which depended on him for patronage.

Ahmad Rashid, a Pakistan-based Taliban specialist, told Reuters that Mr. Ahmed Karzai’s killing would leave a “profound vacuum” in southern Afghanistan, where “he was basically running the south for his brother”.

At a separate news conference, Governor of Kandahar Tooryalai Wesa said Mr. Ahmed Karzai’s “loss will have a negative impact on issues with tribes, and current affairs and security”.

Observers say Tuesday’s killing is likely to dent the morale in the presidential camp.

REPORT BY BIKRAM SINGH RANA