Ahmad Wali Karzai, President Karzai's half brother and head of Kandahar provincial council since 2005, was killed on Tuesday July 12, 2011 by his bodyguard associated to the Taliban who has been called "Brother" by President several times in open speeches to public. Death of a brother is too hard to bear, especially of a brother for whose defense Karzai stood like an iron-wall against the world and never let his brother be defamed by international community who accused him of being the king of drug trafficking in south in addition to working for CIA. President Hamid Karzai time and again denied Wali Karzai's involvement in drug trade saying that, "That is complete nonsense. Ahmad Wali was already accused of dealing in drugs. I investigated it thoroughly: naturally, none of it is true."

Wali Karzai had survived several attacks by Taliban in past. But not this time, as the attack was carried out by the snake in grass – his own bodyguard. And surviving such attacks is almost impossible.
The assassination of Wali Karzai was not unforeseen. The series of targeted killing - that has been continuing in the country since long and government failure to counter it- is to be blamed for his death.

Jawad Zahak, head of Bamyan provincial council, Gen. Dawood Dawood, police commander in north zone and Khan Muhammad Mujahid, Kandahar police chief were all killed in June, May and April respectively. The trend of target killing that moved at a slow pace in the last years, has taken lives of high government officials quite rapidly in 2011. The government's role in stopping the trend has not been more than a spectator. The government itself seems quite perplexed as attacks have been carried out by Afghan soldiers and bodyguards in many cases.

Politics is a dirty game. It is dirtier in countries like Afghanistan where death follows you at every step. Playing this game, the President lost his father, Abdul Ahad Karzai in 1999 and now his brother. The death of Wali Karzai should be taken as a red alarm by the President and other high ranking officials in whose hand fall the country's present and future. They have to move the country towards betterment, even if it is for the sake of their own lives.