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Maulana Khan Zeb

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Maulana Khan Zeb
مولانا خان زیب
Secretary for Ulema Affairs, ANP
In office
21 April 2025 – 10 July 2025
Personal details
BornNawagai Tehsil, Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Died10 July 2025
Khar, Bajaur Bajaur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Manner of deathAssassination by unidentified gunmen
Political partyANP (2024–2025)
EducationDars-i-Nizami (1999)
OccupationIslamic scholar, historian, peace activist, politician

Maulana Khan Zeb (died 10 July 2025) was a Pakistani religious scholar, historian, peace advocate, and politician affiliated with the Awami National Party (ANP). He gained widespread recognition for his campaigns promoting non-violence and preservation of Pashtun culture. He was assassinated on 10 July 2025, in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while campaigning for a peace march.[1]

Early life and education

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Born in Nawagai Tehsil, Bajaur, to a family from the Salarzai‑Shaykhan subtribe of the Tarkalani clan, he completed his matriculation at Government High School, Nawagai. Later, he studied Islamic theology, graduating in Dars-i Nizami in 1999.[2]

Career

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Religious and academic

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Khan Zeb was a disciple of Sheikh‑ul‑Hadith Maulana Hassan Jan. He authored a Pashto book on Bajaur’s culture and history. He also contributed to Daily Shahbaz, Tribal News Network, and Pakhtoon Magazine, alongside active social media engagement.[2] In his book on the history of Bajaur district, spanning 4,000 years, he proposed the name of the district to be derived from Baaj (a certain tax on crops) and Warr (to give); with the combined term equaling tax giver.[3]

Political

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Khan Zeb joined the secular, Pashtun‑centred Awami National Party, serving as secretary of ulema affairs and member of its central cabinet.[1][4] He also contested for NA-8 Bajaur in 2024 Pakistani general election, securing more than 12,000 votes.[5]

Literary contributions

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  • خانزېب, مولانا (2024). شتمنه پښتونخوا : د پښتونخوا د قدرتى وسائلو علمى، سائنسى او سياسى لوست / Shtamanah Puṣhtūnkhwā : da Puṣhtūnkhwā da qudratī wasāʼilo ʻilmī, sāʼinsī aw siyāsī lwast (in Pashto). Peshawar: مفکوره ريسرچ اينڈ ڈويلپمنٹ سنټر (Mafkūrah Research & Development Center). p. 184. ISBN 9789692110457. OCLC 1461846268.
  • خانزېب, مولانا (2020). The History of Bajaur باجوړ د تاريخ پۀ رڼا کښې (in Pashto). Peshawar: Mafkūrah مفکوره ريسرچ اينڈ ڈويلپمنٹ سنټر. p. 440. ISBN 9789697500079.

Assassination

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On 10 July 2025, while campaigning for the “Aman Pasoon” (peace march) scheduled for 13 July, he was ambushed by motorcycle-riding gunmen on Shindai Mor road near Khar, Bajaur.[2] A policeman (his guard) was also killed, and three civilians were critically injured.[6] No group immediately claimed responsibility, and investigations by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities are ongoing.[1]

Reactions and aftermath

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The Awami National Party (ANP) declared three days of mourning, hoisting black flags at party offices. ANP President Aimal Wali Khan, KP President Mian Iftikhar Hussain, and Chief Minister KP Ali Amin Gandapur strongly condemned the attack and demanded swift justice. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan described him as "a leading peace campaigner and political leader of the ANP."[1] PM Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over his assassination.[7]

Protests ensued in Bajaur, with public outrage directed at the perceived resurgence of militant influence and government inaction.[1]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Hayat, Arif (10 July 2025). "ANP leader Maulana Khan Zeb, cop gunned down in KP's Bajaur: Police". Dawn.
  2. ^ a b c Yasir, Muhammad Bilal (10 July 2025). "Ambassador of Peace, Martyr of the Nation: Who Was Maulana Khan Zeb Shaheed?". Tribal News Network.
  3. ^ "Book on Bajaur history a crash course for researchers, historians". www.thenews.com.pk. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  4. ^ "ANP leader Maulana Khan Zeb, cop shot dead in KP's Bajaur". 92newshd.tv. 10 July 2025.
  5. ^ "NA-8 Bajaur Bye Election 2024 Full Result Candidates Vote". ElectionPakistani.com.
  6. ^ Khan, Anwarullah (11 July 2025). "ANP leader, policeman killed in Bajaur attack". Dawn.
  7. ^ "PM expresses grief over assassination of Maulana Khan Zeb in Bajaur terror attack". www.radio.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 11 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
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