On January 31, 2024, at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, I was bidding farewell to a few relatives traveling to Europe. With children accompanying them, I remained occupied until immigration clearance was completed.
Suddenly, my phone started buzzing with multiple calls. Seeing several missed calls, most from media colleagues and friends from my region, made me uneasy. "May Allah keep everything well," I thought. Soon, a call from the press club came through. When I picked up, my colleague’s first words were: "Rehan Zeb Khan has been martyred."
It felt as if the ground beneath my feet had vanished. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t believe it. Just a few days ago, I had spoken to him—a smiling, fearless young man, —and now, he was no more.
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Remembering Rehan Zeb Khan: A Legacy of Vision and Valor
My connection with Rehan Zeb Khan Shaheed began around 2016 when he started sharing his activism regarding former FATA and the draconian FCR laws on Facebook. However, our first meeting took place seven years ago at the Bajaur Press Club, followed by several interactions at various events.
Rehan Zeb Khan was not just highly educated but also a fearless political activist. After completing his engineering degree, he entered politics and activism, excelling in every platform he stepped into. His bold stance on truth and justice often led to opposition and threats, but he never backed down.
During the era when speaking out in the former FATA was considered a crime under the oppressive FCR, Rehan Zeb Khan fearlessly raised his voice for the oppressed. He actively advocated for the rights of people in Palestine, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan, and Kashmir, using social media to amplify their struggles. He also played a crucial role in highlighting the issues faced by students and citizens in tribal districts, particularly against the FCR laws.
Rehan Zeb Khan was a patriot who protected Pakistan’s ideological frontiers through his words and activism. He never feared consequences and continuously exposed corrupt leaders masquerading as saviors. Despite belonging to a political party, he openly protested against his own party’s leadership when he saw corruption. His unyielding stance on justice led him to face hostility from both opponents and allies alike.
Blessed with extraordinary abilities, Rehan Zeb proved his mettle at a young age. He often expressed his belief that he would be assassinated one day, famously saying in a speech:
"What will you gain by killing me? I don’t even own a house or a car. I have nothing except my elderly parents."
Once, when someone advised him to be cautious, fearing he might end up on a hit list, he smiled and replied:
"That won't happen. I believe the night destined for my grave will come when it has to."
His crime? Defending regional rights, youth empowerment, Pakistan’s sovereignty, and speaking the truth. But the cowardly enemy, instead of responding with logic, chose the dagger. On January 31, 2024, he was brutally assassinated near Siddiqueabad Phatak Bazaar, just steps away from Bajaur’s headquarters, Khar.
The news of Rehan Zeb Khan’s martyrdom left his friends and followers devastated, while even those who strongly opposed him mourned his loss.
His funeral, held in his ancestral village, Shah Naray, became one of the largest in Bajaur’s history, attended by thousands of people, who bid him farewell with tears and grief.
May Allah grant Rehan Zeb Khan the highest ranks in Jannah. Yet, even after a year, his killers remain free, escaping justice.
Rehan Zeb Khan founded the "Youth of Bajaur" and remained its leader until his last breath. He was a prominent youth leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Despite the ban on PTI contesting elections due to a court order, Rehan Zeb ran for both National and Provincial Assembly seats as an independent candidate in the February 8, 2024 elections. He had filed nomination papers for NA-8 and PK-22.
However, on January 31, 2024, while campaigning at Siddiqueabad Phatak Bazaar, he was gunned down, and three others were injured in the attack.
Following his assassination, his younger brother, Mubarak Zeb Khan, contested the same seats and won by a significant margin. Later, he resigned from the Provincial Assembly seat but retained the National Assembly position.
Even in death, Rehan Zeb Khan’s legacy remains alive—a symbol of fearless activism, truth, and unwavering resistance against injustice.
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18 Apr, 2025