Nearly six months after the rape and murder of 18-year-old Shakeela in central Bamiyan province, nocharges have been laid and the case appears to be going nowhere, human rights activist Latifa Sultani said Saturday.

Sultani, the Women Rights Coordinator at the Afghan Human Rights Commission, blamed the local officials and justice organs for not following the murder which happened in February. She accused the relevant authorities of not providing accurate information and evidence on the matter.

Shakeela, 18, died at the house of Bamiyan provincial council member Hadi Wahidi Behshti. Sultani said that the forensic examination showed she died from a bullet wound and that she was raped before she was shot.

"The case has been under investigation for nearly six months and they still haven't taken any necessary action," Sultani told TOLOnews. "We are not satisfied with their work. We are raising our concerns over the lack of cooperation with the commission because they are not providing us with necessary information."

Bamiyan Governor Habib Surabi echoed Sultani's concerns and said that the provincial Attorney General's office had not managed to identify the murderer or murderers, and pursue the case in a proper manner.

"The person, who is known as ‘Qurban', who is the bodyguard of the provincial council member who has been accused of the murder was present at the house while she was murdered. The provincial council member also confirms this," Surabi said, adding that the provincial Attorney General had not officially identified a killer.

Meanwhile, the head of the Afghan Parliament committee overseeing complaints said that he has sent a letter to the Attorney General office regarding the pursuit of the case but he had not received any response.

"The reason the murderers have not yet been prosecuted is because they might be powerful, and the brothers of Shakeela might be poor. If it were not so, they would not have come to us. They have been disappointed by the government organs," Head of the Parliamentary Petitions and Complaints Hearing Committee Obaidullah Barekzai said.

Meanwhile, council member Behsheti has dismissed the allegations of Shakeela's murder, saying that she committed suicide.

Head of Bamiyan's Appeal Court Sayed Yahya Ahmadyar said that the local officials say her case is under investigation and a verdict would be announced as soon as the process is complete.

Separately, documents received by TOLOnews from the provincial Criminal Division say that at the time of Shakeela's death, only Beheshti, his wife, and his cousin Abdul Wahab were at the house.