Afghanistan official shot, another kidnapped in Kabul

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-afghanistan-official-shot-another-kidnapped-20140416,0,854907.story



Afghan Deputy Minister of Public Works Ahmad Shah Wahid seen in his office in Kabul.

Afghanistan official shot, another kidnapped in Kabul
By Hashmat Baktash and Shashank Bengali
April 16, 2014, 4:58 a.m.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Two security incidents within 24 hours involving Afghan government officials have taken some of the glimmer off of this month’s generally successful presidential election and renewed concerns about safety in Kabul.

Hours after unknown gunmen kidnapped a deputy minister in President Hamid Karzai’s government, a police officer engaged in an argument with a female member of parliament opened fire and wounded the lawmaker in the leg, officials said Wednesday.

The lawmaker, Maryam Koofi, was in stable condition at a local hospital, according to a statement from the Afghan Interior Ministry. The police officer was detained and is under investigation, officials said.

The shooting took place around 10 p.m. local time Tuesday near Koofi’s home in Arya City, a housing complex normally regarded as one of Kabul’s safest. Hashmat Stanikzai, a spokesman for the Kabul police, said the officer fired one or two bullets. The cause of the argument wasn’t immediately known.