07/07/2025
𝐈𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐳 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧: 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Zebak, Badakhshan (Afghanistan) – July 4, 2025:
In a deeply troubling incident, Fazal Ahmad Paiz, the local head of religious affairs for the Aga Khan Foundation in Zebak district of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, was shot and killed by unidentified armed men on Friday evening.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers stormed his house, forcibly dragged him outside, and executed him at point-blank range. Images received by Afghanistan International show his bloodied body lying outside his home, highlighting the brutality of the attack.
❖ 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
Despite the gravity of the incident, Taliban authorities have remained completely silent, offering no official statement or acknowledgment of the killing. Their ongoing silence has sparked outrage and fear among the local Ismaili community, who already feel increasingly vulnerable under Taliban rule.
❖ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧: 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬
This killing is not an isolated event but part of an ongoing series of targeted attacks against members of the Ismaili community. A similar incident occurred in 2024, when another Ismaili figure was assassinated in the same district.
Reports from multiple international human rights organizations have raised alarms:
- ̲𝙾̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚣̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚑̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚁̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚠̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚒̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝙲̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝙸̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚁̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚍̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚜̲, ̲𝚑̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲, ̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚍̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚘̲̲𝚏̲ ̲𝚑̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚘̲ ̲𝙸̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲-̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚓̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚜̲.
- ̲𝚂̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚟̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝙸̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲ ̲𝚌̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚋̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚐̲ ̲𝚌̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚘̲ ̲𝚂̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚒̲ ̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚜̲, ̲𝚠̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝚘̲̲𝚠̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚋̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚜̲.
❖ 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧
Badakhshan has been a historical and spiritual homeland for Ismailis for centuries:
- ̲𝚃̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝟷̲̲𝟷̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲-̲𝚌̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚙̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚖̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚢̲ ̲𝙽̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝙺̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚠̲ ̲𝚕̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝙸̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲.
- ̲𝙳̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚐̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚂̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚟̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲, ̲𝙸̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲ ̲𝚌̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚠̲ ̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚔̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚋̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚟̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚢̲, ̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲, ̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲, ̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚍̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚟̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲.
- ̲𝚃̲̲𝚘̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚍̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚢̲, ̲𝚍̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚔̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚉̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚋̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚔̲, ̲𝚂̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲, ̲𝚆̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚓̲, ̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚆̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚔̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚑̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚘̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝙸̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲ ̲𝚙̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚜̲.
Estimates suggest that the Ismaili population in Afghanistan is between 150,000 and 200,000, with the majority residing in Badakhshan.
❖ 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐒-𝐊
Badakhshan has also witnessed increased activity from Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in the region in recent years:
- ̲𝙸̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝙹̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝟸̲𝟶̲̲𝟸̲̲𝟹̲, ̲𝚊̲ ̲𝚌̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝚋̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚋̲ ̲𝚔̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝙳̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚢̲ ̲𝙶̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚟̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝙽̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲ ̲𝙰̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝙰̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚒̲.
- ̲𝙰̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚍̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚋̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚋̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚐̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚖̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚊̲ ̲𝚂̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚒̲’̲𝚊̲ ̲𝚖̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚚̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚎̲.
- ̲𝚂̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚟̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚃̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚋̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚘̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚠̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚔̲̲𝚜̲.
While it is still unclear who was behind the killing of Fazal Ahmad Paiz—Taliban, ISIS-K, or rogue militants—the risks for religious minorities are undeniably escalating.
❖ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
In light of such events, international human rights bodies and Afghan civil society have urgently called for protection of religious minorities in Afghanistan. The targeting of individuals associated with organizations like the Aga Khan Foundation highlights a growing threat of sectarian persecution under both Taliban rule and extremist groups.
The assassination of Fazal Ahmad Paiz is not just the murder of an individual—it is a symbolic act of silencing a community already under immense pressure. Both the Afghan authorities and the international community must respond with concrete actions to safeguard the fundamental rights and lives of Afghanistan’s religious minorities.
