While she was the founder of the Afghan Peace Radio station, the 35-year-old woman was also the headmistress at a local school.

The station was U.S. funded and often spoke out on controversial issues such as women rights and the Taliban insurgency.

[3][4] Local warlords and conservatives wanted to shut down the radio station, and Zaki received deaths threats in the days leading up to her assassination.

Before her murder, Zakia Zaki had received threats to shut down her radio station and on her life.

[5][6] On June 4, 2007, around midnight, three men armed with handguns and rifles entered Zaki's family home and shot her 7 times in the head and the chest while she slept and then fled.

[1][9] Abdul Manan Farahi, director of Anti-Terrorism Operations in Afghanistan, said, the suspects arrested in the Zaki case are believed to be linked to the Hezb-e Islami.

[10] Many officials believed that female journalists were being targeted so the guerrilla groups in the area could gain media attention and convey their threats to the public.

[6] Many independent and private media outlets and radio stations arose after the fall of the Taliban, and despite the backlash towards female journalists, the growth of these businesses continued.