Ghazala Javed was a singer from the Swat region of Pakistan. She died on 20 June 2012 after being repeatedly shot in the back of the head by gunmen riding a motorbike, as she was leaving a beauty salon in Peshawar.

Javed was well known in her home country and had appeared on national TV, besides winning arts awards. She usually sang in her native language of Pashto.

She had angered the Taliban who now control much of the Swat region. The Taliban have imposed strict controls both on women in public life and on the performance of music and dancing, and although Peshawar, where she was living, is not under their control, their influence is strong and she often had to record her music abroad.

The chief suspect in her murder is in fact her husband. Police think he may have arranged the attack after she tried to divorce him, a very unusual action for women in that region. However, the full facts may not be known for some time.