Hamza Khan

Hamza khan Khattak is an MPhil Candidate at the Center for Socio-legal Studies, Oxford supervised by Dr Fernanda Pirie. His research focuses on the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan, specifically examining how Pashtun tribes are navigating the transition from customary law to a nation-state legal system. 

Prior to this, Hamza’s research focused on Muslim family law, Pashtun customary law, and global legal history. Hamza is a lawyer by training, with practical experience in harassment law, land disputes, and Muslim divorce cases. He has also served as a research assistant to two Harvard-based scholars on separate ethnographic research projects: one focusing on contestation over dower in women-initiated divorces, and the other on the formation of the gemstone market in Peshawar.

Hamza’s broader professional and community engagement spans law, technology, and public-facing initiatives. He has worked as a project manager for “Peshawar Circle”, the largest reading circle in Peshawar, and has conducted research on the interaction between law, emerging technologies, and human rights. He has also worked as a pro bono lawyer for women facing domestic violence in Peshawar.