Zia Ur Rehman
Zia Ur Rehman is a journalist and researcher and works on militancy, human rights and development in Pakistan’s tribal areas. He is a Pakistan Pashtun belonging to the Swat Valley and has written for Central Asia Online, The News, New York Times and Newsline.
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Articles by Zia Ur Rehman
Qari Amjad: The U.S.-Designated Terrorist and Pakistan Taliban Minister of Defense
On December 1, the U.S. announced it added four veteran Pakistani jihadist leaders to its list of global terrorists as a part of its “relentless efforts to ensure that terrorists...
Another Pakistani Taliban Leader Falls to Assassination: The Mysterious Killing of Abdul Wahab Larik
On March 22, Abdul Wahab Larik, a central leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who was appointed the group’s head in the southern Pakistani province of Sindh, was killed by...
Who is Muslim Khan and Why Does the Pakistani Taliban Demand his Release?
Brokered by the Afghan Taliban’s interior minister and Haqqani Network leader, Sirajudin Haqqani, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, agreed with the Pakistani government on November...
The Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan and Militant Mergers Bolster Baluch Insurgents in Pakistan
On January 20, a bomb blast at a crowded market killed three civilians and injured more than 25 others in Lahore. The attack was executed by the Baluch Nationalist Army...
Islamist Reaction to the NATO Airstrike on the Pakistani Border
Following the November 26 incident in which two Pakistani Army check posts in the Salala area of the Mohmand tribal agency were hit by a NATO air strike that killed...
Growing Urban Islamist Militancy in Punjab Province Poses New Challenge for Pakistani Authorities
While Pakistan has directed its focus and significant resources to fighting terrorism in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), the growing activities of banned militant organizations...
Pakistan’s Military Urges Tribal Uprising against Militants in North Waziristan
While U.S. pressure on Pakistan for a full-scale operation against the Haqqani Network and other militant groups in the North Waziristan Agency is growing, the Pakistani military is urging the...
Militants Striking Both Sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border to Disrupt Security Cooperation
Eleven cross-border incursions over the last four months in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region have taken place despite several army operations in Pakistan and the NATO presence across the border in...
Attacks on Saudi Diplomats in Karachi May Be Part of a Saudi-Iranian Proxy War
A diplomatic staffer of the Saudi Consulate in Karachi, Hassan al-Qahtani, was killed by unknown gunmen riding two motorcycles in Karachi on May 16 (Dawn [Karachi], May 16). A few...
Clashes Erupt Between Khyber Tribesmen and Lashkar-e-Islam Militants
The Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI), a Mangal Bagh-led militant organization based in the Khyber Tribal Agency, is facing a serious threat to its existence after recent clashes with an LeI splinter group...
The Khurasan Mujahideen Seek to Eliminate Espionage in Waziristan
Although Pakistani Taliban militants have killed hundreds of people accused of spying for the United States or Pakistan’s intelligence agencies over the past few years in the lawless tribal areas...
Taliban Regroups in Pakistan’s Dir Region after Successful Government Offensive
Despite the Pakistani government’s announcement that its military offensive in the mountainous Dir region of northwest Pakistan had succeeded in securing the area, recent attacks by militants of the Tehrik-e-Taliban...