Reporting on Conflict, Organized Crime & Geopolitics in South Asia
Investigative Journalist & Author

Uncovering Conflict, Rights & Security Dynamics in South Asia.

Specializing in conflict, militancy, organized crime, human rights, and regional security across Pakistan and Afghanistan. Regular contributor to The New York Times, Dawn, DW, and Nikkei Asia.

450+ Published Dispatches
NYT Regular Contributor
Author Karachi in Turmoil
15+ Yrs Field Reporting
Zia Ur Rehman - Investigative Journalist
Zia Ur Rehman
Independent Investigative Reporter
Portfolio & Dispatches

Investigative Reports & Field Analyses

Filter reporting by thematic beat (Conflict, Human Rights, Karachi, Afghan Refugees) or global news publication.

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Zia Ur Rehman Portrait
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Author & Policy Analyst
Specialist on Pakistani & Afghan Security
Biographical Profile

About Zia Ur Rehman

Zia Ur Rehman is a Pakistani independent journalist whose reporting frequently appears in The New York Times. He mainly writes on conflict, organized crime, rights, migration, and religion. His work also appears regularly in Dawn, DW, Middle East Eye, Nikkei Asia, and CTC Sentinel, among other publications.

Beyond journalism, Rehman analyzes conflict dynamics and political developments in Pakistan and the broader region, including Afghanistan, for various policy institutes. They included: the United States Institute of Peace, DW Akademie, the Political Violence Lab at the University of California, Merced, the European Union Agency for Asylum, and Amnesty International, among others. 

He is the author of Karachi in Turmoil (Narratives, 2013), a comprehensive analysis of the city’s complex security landscape. Currently, he is working on another book, reflecting on his experiences covering violent insurgencies across Pakistan as a journalist.

🔍 Conflict & Militancy

Field reporting and analysis on TTP, sectarian extremist groups, and cross-border militant networks.

⚖️ Organized Crime & Rights

Documenting human rights crises, state crackdowns, extrajudicial killings, and Karachi criminal networks.

🌐 Migration & Afghan Refugees

Extensive field coverage of mass Afghan deportations, border crossings, and refugee welfare.

🏛️ Policy & Academic Briefings

Research consultations for USIP, DW Akademie, UC Merced Violence Lab, EUAA, and Amnesty International.

Karachi in Turmoil
Author Spotlight

"Karachi in Turmoil" & Forthcoming Works

Published by Narratives in 2013, Karachi in Turmoil is widely cited by academics, diplomats, and security researchers as one of the definitive accounts of the ethno-political violence and extremist syndicate infiltration that gripped Karachi.

📚 Narratives Publications • 2013 🏛️ United States Institute of Peace 🎓 UC Merced Violence Lab 🇪🇺 EU Agency for Asylum 🌍 Amnesty International
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Connect with Zia Ur Rehman

For story tips, editorial commissions, policy research consultations, or press commentary regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan.