Tajikistan culture minister murdered

The Tajik Minister of Culture was shot and killed early today as he left his apartment in the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe.

An unidentified gunman shot Minister Abdurakhim Rakhimov at close range as he set off for work, said Interior Minister Khumdin Sharipov.

Rakhimov, 53, was appointed culture minister in January.

The murder is said to be politically motivated as Rakhimov was responsible for arranging the festivities devoted to the 10th anniversary of Tajik independence this weekend.

The central Asian country was embroiled in a five-year civil war with mostly Islamic forces and the government after the Soviet break-up.

Despite a 1997 ceasefire and efforts to integrate the opposition into Government, the violence has continued.

The country’s Deputy Interior Minister was murdered in April.

Tajikistan has also become a gateway for narcotics and weapons smuggled from neighbouring Afghanistan.