Mohammad Murad​ spent a decade working at a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) base in Bamyan. Ten days ago he was shot and killed in his village bazaar by the Taliban likely because of that work.

The 48-year-old had worked as a guard at the New Zealand-run forward operating base Romero in Kahmard​, Bamyan from early in the 2000s for more than 10 years, said Parwiz Hakimi​, an interpreter for the NZDF in Bamyan during much of that time. Hakimi, who now lives in New Zealand, heard from Murad’s family that 10 days ago he had been assassinated by the Taliban.

“He had enemies because of his work with us,” Hakimi said, and added that even when New Zealand forces were still in Bamyan, Murad had faced threats because he was a guard at the New Zealand base. “His wife and family are quite grieved and sad that Murad has been killed. They’re quite scared now that everyone (in the family) will be killed.”

A 2006 contract signed by Murad says he would be paid US$6.05 per day and a food allowance of US$1.33 per day for his work as a head guard providing security services for the NZDF base, according to the contract seen by Stuff.

Murad was one of a number of Afghan nationals who because of their ties to New Zealand forces, the government and aid agencies, are at risk as Taliban across the country retaliate against those who worked with allied forces. Since the Taliban took control of the country in mid-August there have been reports of violence against not only those who worked with allied forces but also women and other minorities.

“The government has received tens of thousands of emails and phone calls including from those who claimed to have worked for, or be connected to NZDF, or other New Zealand Government agencies in Afghanistan,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said. “Over 1250 visas have been issued since that time.”

Hakimi said Murad and a number of other contractors had not applied for the visas though because they’d already fled to the mountains after the Taliban took control of their towns and were not able to be contacted when the New Zealand government announced a special visa for those who had worked for them.

“By the time they got a message from me, it was already too late,” he said. He is now trying to help Murad’s family and other contractors who missed out on applying get visas for New Zealand.

A NZDF spokesman said they had reviewed their list of locally employed staff and had no record of Murad, but this did not necessarily mean he did not work for them as there were a number of reasons why they would have no record.

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“It can be challenging to positively identify individuals who worked with the NZDF in Bamyan as they would often go by a singular name, such as Mohammed, or several different names,” he said. He added information such as a birthdate was not a widely used concept in Afghanistan which added to the challenges as did low levels of literacy.

New Zealand defence forces arrived in Afghanistan in 2001​ and served there for two decades while the government funded numerous projects such as solar farms and the building of schools. The projects and the bases relied on local staff.

Many of those who did manage to get visas remain in danger. Around 1000 New Zealanders and New Zealand visa holders are thought to be still in Afghanistan and trying to leave. Furthermore, Immigration New Zealand​ is still working through a few requests for visas that came in before the government suspended new applications for resettlement.

The government is planning to send a special representative to the Middle East to help with the evacuation of those now with New Zealand visas. However, no representative has been appointed.

Nawidullah Atayee,​ a former Afghan interpreter who helped New Zealand troops, said he was also in contact with some of those who did have visas for New Zealand and they were facing real challenges too.

“They are in-hiding in the capital Kabul,” said Atayee, who now lives in New Zealand. “They are facing financial problems, they are facing accommodation problems, just so many challenges.”

Also, many of the Afghan interpreters in New Zealand still have families in Afghanistan and continue to worry their families are at risk from the Taliban, he added.