Ayesha Tanzeem

AYESHA TANZEEM

25 Years of Fearless Journalism and Global Thought Leadership

as featured On

Children of Daesh: The Making of Child Soldiers by ISIS-Khorasan

Produced, reported, and narrated by Ayesha Tanzeem.

In 2015, ISIS-Khorasan emerged in Afghanistan, bringing with it some of the group’s most brutal tactics—including the recruitment and weaponization of children. This original documentary uncovers the harrowing journey of those children—brainwashed, trained, and ready to carry out beheadings or suicide attacks.

Ayesha Tanzeem

is a multiple award-winning journalist and preeminent thought leader who has shaped global narratives in support of democracy, human rights, and press freedom. With over two decades of frontline experience reporting from some of the world’s most volatile conflict zones, she brings an unmatched blend of editorial vision, crisis leadership, and global media strategy.

Tanzeem has covered war, conflict, and humanitarian crises across dozens of countries—including the war in Afghanistan, the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe, and the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. She was one of the first international journalists to travel undercover to areas controlled by the Islamic State group, known as ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan, in the very region where the United States later dropped its largest non-nuclear weapon, the “Mother of All Bombs.” Her gripping reports, often conducted under extreme pressure, have earned her multiple international honors, including the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards and the David Burke Distinguished Journalism Awards.

Award Winning

A selection of award-winning documentaries and special reports recognized for their journalistic excellence, global impact, and courageous storytelling from the front lines of conflict and crisis.

New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, 2023: Best Continuing News Coverage (Bronze)

From Republic to Emirate: Afghanistan Under the Taliban

One year after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, VOA, under Ayesha Tanzeem’s leadership, delivered special, award-winning coverage examining how the group governed the country and how the lives of Afghans—both those who fled and those who remained—had changed.

New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, 2023: Documentary–Heroes (Bronze)

Homeland

As many Afghan men and woman fled after the return of Taliban, one woman decided to stay and fight for her rights. This short documentary is a rare glimpse into the life and dreams of a woman who has chosen to stand her ground, no matter the consequences

David Burke Distinguished Journalism Awards, 2022

For on-going breaking news coverage of the fall of Afghanistan.

As the Taliban entered Kabul and solidified their control, Ayesha Tanzeem ventured out to report—navigating a city clouded by uncertainty and the constant threat of violence. Reporting from the streets of Kabul, She witnessed the Taliban’s presence significantly increase as their grip on the city tightened.

Association for International Broadcasting (AIB), Nov 2021: Best Media Freedom Coverage Award

Can Afghanistan’s Free Press Survive?

In May 2021, VOA highlighted Afghanistan’s thriving free press—nurtured under a U.S.-backed government—as a vital force for civil debate and accountability. On World Press Freedom Day, Afghan journalists should have been celebrating those hard-won successes. Within three months, the Taliban returned to power, dismantling much of that free press. This special coverage was produced by Ayesha Tanzeem, capturing a pivotal moment before the fall.

New York Film Festivals TV & Film Awards • Jan 2021: Finalist—Heroes

Inside Story—the Fall of Kabul

The fall of Afghanistan happened quicker than most U.S. officials anticipated and publicly stated, creating an atmosphere of chaos and desperation in Kabul. Watch The Inside Story for a first-person account of those first 36 hours and the impact the U.S. withdrawal is having on Afghan society.

Screened at Jaipur International Film Festival, India 2024

Lessons of Loktantra

In Ayodhya, the site of the newly built Ram Temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who personally inaugurated the temple and made its construction central to his political messaging, saw his party, the BJP, suffer a surprising defeat in the 2024 elections. This documentary explores how overconfidence, political miscalculation, and attempts to stoke communal tensions led to a backlash in a town long known for coexistence.

New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, 2021: Heroes (Finalist)

Cycling is Their Activism: How Some Young Girls in Pakistan Are Fighting for Public Space

For almost two years, a group of dedicated young women in a conservative neighborhood of Pakistan has been working to beat the odds and change the culture around them. The women are doing it by cycling. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Pakistan’s largest city Karachi

David Burke Distinguished Journalism Awards, 2016: Courage in Journalism

In Disguise, VOA Team Ventures Into IS Stronghold

When a new branch of the Islamic State group gained ground in eastern Afghanistan, news from the region was scarce. No one was sure who the militants were—Afghans, foreigners, disgruntled Taliban? Where did they come from? What were they planning? What was the situation on the ground?

Locals were terrified and fleeing. Officials were hesitant to admit the extent of the threat.

Determined to uncover the truth, Ayesha Tanzeem set out to investigate, traveling to the region with her team.

Global News Reporting (Broadcast)

Featured reports from conflict zones and major global events.

In Afghanistan, Selling One Child to Save Another

One in three Afghans is going hungry these days. Children are facing acute malnutrition. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports that poor Afghans are resorting to desperate measures, like selling one child to save the others.

Afghans Sell Kidneys to Feed Hungry Children

In January, the United Nations launched its largest funding appeal for a single country, $4.5 billion, for Afghanistan. Since the Taliban took over the country six months ago, the withdrawal of foreign assistance, coupled with sanctions, has had a devastating effect on the economy. Hunger has led people to take extreme measures. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem went to a neighborhood in Herat province, where selling one’s kidneys seems to be a common practice.

Brackish Drinking Water a Serious Problem in Pakistan’s Tharparkar Region

What is life like for people who live in a region where water is not fit to drink? VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem visited a place like that in Pakistan and has the story.

Eyewitness to Kabul’s Fall

As the Taliban entered Kabul and solidified their control, Ayesha Tanzeem ventured out to report—navigating a city clouded by uncertainty and the constant threat of violence. Reporting from the streets of Kabul on Monday, she witnessed the Taliban’s presence significantly increase by late afternoon as their grip on the city tightened.

A deadly attack at a Pakistan university

A deadly attack at a Pakistan university last week that killed 21 people was preceded by serious security lapses from an administration that ignored concerns raised by its own staff and local police.

Snake Charmers Who Sleep With Their Cobras

Ayesha Tanzeem spends time with a Pakistani “Jogi” or snake charmer who says they make a sacred pact with a snake in the name of Pir Goga, their guru of ancient times. They tell the snake they will release it after a given time, usually 3-4 months, if it agrees to cooperate and not hurt them.

Families in Pakistan Suffer When Violence Takes Away Breadwinners

The Hazaras, a Shi’ite minority sect in Pakistan, are a conservative community where women often stay home and men go out to earn a living. The sect also has been a prime target for Sunni militant groups. The result is that more men have died than women, and a lot of Hazara households have found themselves without their male breadwinners.

Documentaries

Untold stories from war zones, political crises, and places at the center of global change.

Children of Islamic State

In 2015, Islamic State announced a new chapter for Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was called Islamic State Khorasan Province. Eastern Afghanistan became its stronghold. ISKP recruited from the local population, including children. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem met two such boys. This is their story.

Homeland (S2, E02) | 52 Documentary

Afghanistan is her home and Zahara Nabi is staying. While many Afghans, both men and women, have fled the return of Taliban rule, Nabi is determined to fight for her rights. A rare glimpse into the life and dreams of a woman who has chosen to stand her ground, no matter the consequences.

The Displaced Rabab

Shams Sanam ran for his life after a phone call threatening to chop off his head. Musicians had no space in the new Afghanistan under Taliban. The 27-year-old rabab player managed to escape to neighboring Pakistan, but has found life difficult without an income or a support system.

AYODHYA: Lessons of Loktantra

Conversations from the Frontlines of Power

Exclusive interviews with world leaders, insurgents, diplomats, and activists—capturing firsthand perspectives from those shaping the course of history.

Ex-President Hamid Karzai Speaks on Prospects for Afghan Peace

As the teams representing the Taliban and the Afghan government negotiated in Doha, Qatar, over the future of their country, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai sat down with VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem to discuss the impact of the U.S. elections on the negotiations, the venue, and whether the talks had a chance of success.

What’s Next in Afghanistan: VOA Speaks With a Taliban Footsoldier

Shortly after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem spoke with ordinary Taliban fighters in the streets of Kabul to understand how they viewed the challenge of governing a country. Most hesitated to answer controversial questions about human rights and women’s rights, saying such matters were best left to their leaders or religious scholars. Describing themselves as “simple people” who followed orders, they nonetheless continued speaking with her and her female translator — even as they insisted women should not be outside without a male chaperone. Here was one such conversation.

Interview with former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf

When Pakistan’s former president and military ruler Pervez Musharraf decided to enter politics, Ayesha Tanzeem sat down with him for an in-depth conversation about his future plans, explosive allegations leveled by a former subordinate, and Pakistan’s evolving place in the world.

Pakistan’s President Says His Country Does Not Want to Become Base of US Counterterror

Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi sat down with VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem for an exclusive interview to discuss the impact of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, how Pakistan viewed its future relationship with its western neighbor, and whether a parliamentary resolution to expel the French ambassador — over French support for the publication of caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad — posed a danger.

Interviews Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid

Ayesha Tanzeem interviewed Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid about India-Pakistan relations, India’s role in Afghanistan, and India’s relationships with the United States and China.

International Reporting & Analysis (Written)

In-depth reporting, features, and strategic insights from across the world.

UN-listed Terror Group Found Collecting Donations for Rohingya in Pakistan

A Pakistan-based group that had been designated a terrorist organization by both the United Nations and the United States was openly collecting donations in the name of helping Rohingya Muslims. In this exclusive report, Ayesha Tanzeem revealed that the group distributed leaflets requesting funds, including through advertisements placed in a local newspaper, raising serious concerns about the misuse of humanitarian appeals and a lack of oversight.

Pakistani Minority Victimized in Name of Fighting Extremism

In Pakistan, a religious minority that had long faced discrimination said the country’s counterterrorism strategy was being used to further suppress its rights. Members of the Ahmadiyya community reported a surge in crackdowns on their religious literature, public gatherings, and even access to housing, as the government used its new National Action Plan—intended to combat extremism—as a tool of persecution rather than protection.

COVID-19 Deaths, Patients Grossly Under-Reported in Pakistan

When COVID-19 infections peaked around the world, Pakistan reported relatively low numbers of cases and deaths, raising questions about the accuracy of its official data. This exclusive report, based on statistical models, leaked government documents, official statements, and interviews with residents across multiple cities, revealed that millions of coronavirus cases went untested and unrecorded, leaving a large gap between reality and the national database.

Against Orders: Some Taliban Fighters Safeguard the Ballot

Contrary to orders from their central command, Taliban fighters in one Afghan province safeguarded the elections. Ayesha Tanzeem traveled to the highly volatile region to find out why.

Protected but Stifled, a Pakistani Minority Feels Imprisoned in its Own Community

After a wave of deadly attacks in 2013, Pakistani authorities responded by sealing off Hazara neighborhoods in Quetta with thick walls and setting up paramilitary checkpoints at the main entrances.

The designated “safe zones” isolated the Shi’ite minority socially and economically. Fear forced many to abandon businesses and job opportunities outside their neighborhoods, effectively restricting their movement and livelihoods.

Who Is Taliban’s New Chief Negotiator?

As peace talks between the United States and the Afghan Taliban entered a crucial stage, the Taliban leadership appointed a new chief negotiator: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the movement and a senior figure respected across Taliban ranks. His appointment signaled a potential shift in the group’s approach to negotiations, raising hopes at the time for substantive progress toward ending the long-running conflict.

In this exclusive report, Ayesha Tanzeem explained the significance of Baradar’s elevation, what it revealed about the Taliban’s internal power dynamics, and how it could have affected the fragile talks with the United States.

Special Projects

From Republic to Emirate: Afghanistan under the Taliban

Can Afghanistan’s Free Press Survive?