Abduction underscores growing friction between digital expressions, tribal traditions in North Waziristan
Zafran Wazir after his recovery from TTP captivity. PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
A school teacher in North Waziristan has been recovered safely after being abducted by gunmen, days after he shared a viral video of a young girl playing cricket that sparked both admiration and controversy.
Zafran Wazir, a teacher at a private school and college in the Shawa area, is known to encourage his students, community members and social activists. He recorded and shared a video of Aina Wazir, a young orphan playing cricket with boys in a community described as “swimming against all odds”.
North Waziristan’s young bowling sensation Aina Wazir has taken social media by storm and has bagged a spot in the upcoming Zalmi Women’s League after catching the eye of Javed Afridi. The Peshawar Zalmi owner has promised full support and professional gear to nurture this raw talent,… pic.twitter.com/6dN0XOEFId
— Express News (@ExpressNewsPK) 19 February 2026
The short clip quickly gained traction on mainstream and social media platforms. It showed the youngster confidently delivering fast balls during a local cricket match, garnering widespread praise online for her talent and spirit.
Aina Wazir took social media by storm and bagged a spot in the upcoming Zalmi Women’s League after catching the eye of Javed Afridi. The owner of Peshawar Zalmi promised full support and professional equipment to nurture what he described as raw talent.
But Aina Wazir’s videos also provoked negative reactions among some peers and fueled controversy about women’s roles in society. As Afridi announced plans to bring her on board, a local Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander reportedly termed the development a threat to prevailing tribal traditions, triggering a chain of events that ignited debate across the region.
Soon after another video of Aina Wazir went viral, Zafran Wazir was abducted. The district police confirmed that he had been taken by armed men.
Read: Gunmen hijack DC vehicle in Kharan
According to local police, “Zafran Wazir was kidnapped from the Shewa area of North Waziristan and allegedly tortured. During his captivity, a video surfaced on social media showing him describing the sharing of the clip as a ‘mistake’ and stating that he was in the custody of unidentified persons.”
The abductors reportedly claimed that filming and sharing the video of the young girl was against Islamic values and Pashtun cultural traditions.
The incident caused anxiety among residents, many of whom expressed concern over growing tensions over social media use and community sensitivities.
Read more: PHC orders answers over ‘disappearances’ in Peshawar, Mardan
After the efforts of a local jirga and religious scholars, authorities later confirmed that Zafran had been safely recovered and reunited with his family.
District Police Officer Sajjad Hussain said the young man had returned home unharmed. The residents welcomed him warmly and placed garlands around his neck in a show of solidarity. Videos of his reception circulated widely online.
The episode has raised wider questions in society: Can a young girl pursue her interest in cricket without controversy? Does recording and sharing such moments violate religious or cultural norms? And how should social media be navigated in a conservative environment?
The story of Aina Wazir’s bowling has grown from a symbol of youthful passion to become a flashpoint in a wider conversation about tradition, modernity and the evolving role of digital media in tribal society.
