Rehan Tariq is one of Pakistan’s most compelling, outspoken, and digitally dominant media personalities — a broadcast journalist, public speaker, and podcast host whose career has evolved from a conventional newsroom background into a commanding force in Pakistan’s digital media landscape. Known to millions across the country as the face of RTS with 24 Plus, his podcast series aired in collaboration with 24NewsHD, Rehan Tariq has built a reputation for conducting unfiltered, hard-hitting interviews with celebrities, politicians, and controversial public figures that traditional television would rarely dare to host.
What makes Rehan Tariq’s journey particularly remarkable is its unconventional origin. He did not come from a journalism or media family. He completed a degree and then an MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, one of Pakistan’s most prestigious technical institutions, before pivoting entirely into broadcast journalism. His transition from engineering to anchoring is now one of the most celebrated stories in Pakistani media, and it is a transition powered by a single defining quality: an extraordinary gift for public speaking that made him unbeatable in every debate and declamation contest he entered throughout his academic years.
Rehan Tariq — Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rehan Tariq |
| Date of Birth | Approximately 1986 (exact date not publicly disclosed) |
| Birthplace | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Age (2026) | Around 40 years old |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Religion | Islam |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Education | B.E. Chemical Engineering + MS Chemical Engineering, UET Lahore |
| Wife | Sehar Tariq |
| Profession | Broadcast Journalist, Public Speaker, Podcast Host |
| Known For | RTS with 24 Plus, Dastak (24NewsHD), viral speech “Parindey Kyun Nhi Aatey” |
| Social Media | @rehantariq.official (Instagram) — 120K+ followers |
Who Is Rehan Tariq?
Rehan Tariq is a Pakistani broadcast journalist and television host primarily associated with 24NewsHD, where he anchors the current affairs programme Dastak and hosts the viral podcast series RTS with 24 Plus (Rehan Tariq Show). He is additionally associated with CNN through collaborative media projects in Pakistan. Alongside his television and digital work, he is a widely sought-after public speaker who has addressed audiences at universities, corporate events, and national media summits.
His identity in public life rests on three pillars: the investigative edge of a trained journalist, the oratorical power of a champion debater, and the instinct for digital content that has made his podcast a genuine cultural force in Pakistan’s increasingly YouTube-driven media ecosystem. He is married, keeps his family life deliberately private, and is recognized across Pakistan both for his on-screen work and for being a motivational voice for young people navigating careers in media and beyond.
Family Background and Early Life
Rehan Tariq was born in Lahore, Pakistan, into a middle-class family that instilled in him a strong foundation of discipline, education, and personal ambition. While he keeps his parents and extended family away from the public spotlight — a deliberate choice that reflects his commitment to protecting those close to him — he has on multiple occasions referenced family values such as responsibility and the importance of education as central influences in his upbringing.
Growing up in Lahore exposed him to Pakistan’s dynamic cultural, political, and media environment at a formative time. Lahore, as the cultural capital of Punjab and a city with a rich tradition of public discourse, debate, and literary culture, provided the ideal backdrop for a young man with a naturally sharp mind and an instinct for expression. It was in Lahore’s educational institutions that the foundations of his extraordinary public speaking ability were first shaped and then sharpened into something exceptional.
Education
Rehan Tariq pursued higher education at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, one of Pakistan’s most respected and competitive academic institutions. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering, followed by an MS degree in Chemical Engineering from the same university. The combination of analytical rigour, structured reasoning, and problem-solving methodology that his engineering education provided later became the intellectual backbone of his approach to journalism, a discipline where evidence, logic, and quick thinking are equally essential.
During his time at UET Lahore, Tariq established himself as an unbeaten public speaker, securing dozens of consecutive first-position wins in national and provincial debate and declamation contests. These were not marginal victories: sources confirm he was essentially undefeated as a competitive speaker across his academic career, building a track record that set him apart from his peers and foreshadowed the media career that would follow. His involvement in anchoring at university conferences and media-related extracurriculars further developed the on-camera presence and vocal authority that would later define him on national television.
Career: Broadcast Journalism
Rehan Tariq entered Pakistani broadcast journalism after completing his engineering studies, making the unusual transition from a technical career path to the media industry on the strength of his communication skills alone. His early career involved working in mainstream Pakistani news media as a journalist and news anchor, learning the craft of current affairs reporting and studio-based live transmission across private news channels.
His primary professional home has been 24NewsHD, one of Pakistan’s leading television news networks. At 24NewsHD, Tariq serves as the anchor of Dastak, a prime-time current affairs programme that runs weekdays and focuses on investigative journalism, in-depth reporting, and public interest discussions. The show has covered a wide range of significant events, controversies, and political developments, with Tariq bringing a probing, detail-oriented style that draws directly from his training as an engineer: he asks questions until he has the complete picture.
His work at 24NewsHD has brought him into contact with major figures across Pakistani politics, entertainment, and society. In 2024, for instance, he hosted veteran actor Firdous Jamal on 24 Plus in a segment that explored personal and professional revelations with the kind of candour that Tariq’s interviews are known for. His consistent performance at 24NewsHD has earned him the Best Anchor Award from the organization on consecutive occasions, a recognition of both his technical quality as a broadcaster and the audience engagement his shows generate.
Rehan Tariq has also been associated with CNN through collaborative projects organized for the network’s employees in Pakistan, including a 2022 group activity, which speaks to the international recognition his professional standards have attracted.
Career: The RTS Podcast — RTS with 24 Plus
The defining chapter of Rehan Tariq’s career, and the one that elevated him from a respected broadcast journalist to a nationally viral media personality, is his podcast series RTS with 24 Plus, which stands for Rehan Tariq Show and is produced in collaboration with 24NewsHD’s digital arm, 24 Plus.
RTS with 24 Plus is a long-form interview podcast series, typically running between one and two hours per episode, available primarily on YouTube through the official RTS with 24 Plus channel and distributed across TikTok and Instagram. The show is known for its high production quality, its conversational but deeply probing format, and its willingness to feature guests who would either not appear on traditional television or who speak on record in ways that mainstream broadcast restrictions would not permit.
Tariq’s hosting style on RTS is characterized by directness, deep prior research into each guest’s background, and an ability to draw out candid, sometimes provocative responses from interviewees. The show has earned a reputation for unfiltered, uncensored dialogue that covers everything from hard-hitting political insights to revealing celebrity conversations, giving Pakistani audiences the kind of raw, unedited content that has made podcast formats dominant across global media.
His format is widely credited in Pakistan’s digital media circles with raising the standard for long-form interview journalism on digital platforms. The viral reach of multiple RTS episodes has transformed what was originally a television journalist’s side project into a mainstream media institution in its own right, with its own subscriber base, TikTok following, and Instagram audience.
The Viral Debate: “Parindey Kyun Nhi Aatey”
Long before the podcast era, one particular performance defined Rehan Tariq’s public identity in a way that still resonates. Approximately a decade ago, a debate he delivered, built around the now-iconic punch line “Parindey Kyun Nhi Aatey” (Why Don’t the Birds Come?), went viral on YouTube and across social media platforms. The video reached audiences far beyond the debate circuit, introducing millions of Pakistanis to a young man with an extraordinary gift for oratory.
That viral moment was not a publicity stunt or a media campaign: it was simply the organic spread of an exceptional speech that connected with people. The punch line became a cultural reference point, and it established Rehan Tariq’s identity as a communicator before he ever stepped in front of a television camera professionally. Many of his current audience members trace their first awareness of him to that video, making it one of the most consequential single moments in the early career of any Pakistani media personality of his generation.
Public Speaking and Youth Engagement
Beyond journalism and podcasting, Rehan Tariq maintains an active presence as a public speaker and youth motivator. He has delivered talks and engagements at institutions including the University of Management and Technology (UMT) and has been associated with UET Lahore’s media diploma courses and public speaking events. His youth network, promoted through his official website rehantariq.pk, invites young Pakistanis to participate in campaigns, media projects, and national discussions, extending his influence beyond the screen and into civic engagement.
This dimension of his work reflects a consistent theme in how Rehan Tariq positions himself: not merely as a media professional but as a communicator with a sense of social responsibility toward the next generation. His speaking engagements typically blend media insights with personal development themes, drawing on his own story of transitioning from engineering to journalism as evidence that unconventional career paths driven by genuine skill and determination are possible.
Personal Life
Rehan Tariq is married to Sehar Tariq. He has consistently kept his personal life, including details about his children and immediate family, away from public attention, maintaining a clear boundary between his very public professional identity and his private domestic life. He has occasionally referenced his family on his show in the context of emotional or personal discussions, but his wife and family remain largely shielded from media coverage, a deliberate and consistent choice that he has maintained throughout his career.
His personal interests include reading, which he lists among his hobbies, and he is a self-described food enthusiast. His favorite travel destination is reportedly Dubai, and his social media presence on Instagram (@rehantariq.official), where he has accumulated over 120,000 followers, focuses predominantly on his professional work, thoughts on media, and public speaking rather than personal moments.
Controversies
The nature of Rehan Tariq’s work, particularly the podcast format of RTS with 24 Plus, has inevitably drawn him into controversies that come with hosting polarizing and high-profile guests.
The most searched-for controversy connected to his name involves his interviews with Hakeem Shahzad, a controversial social media personality whose appearances on Tariq’s podcast produced some of the most widely circulated and debated content in Pakistani digital media. Episodes featuring Hakeem Shahzad generated massive organic viewership but also significant public backlash and ethical debate about the responsibility of hosts who platform controversial figures. The raw, confrontational dynamic of these conversations, often described in audience searches as “Rehan Tariq Hakeem Shahzad fight” or “Rehan Tariq vs Hakeem Loha Paar,” pushed both personalities to the top of Pakistani trending discussions.
These controversies reflect the inherent tension in the podcast format as Tariq practises it: the same willingness to go unfiltered that creates viral content also creates situations where the host’s editorial judgment is publicly questioned. Tariq has navigated this tension by maintaining that open, uncensored dialogue is itself a form of journalistic public service, even when the content generates discomfort.
Awards and Achievements
Rehan Tariq has been awarded the Best Anchor Award consecutively by 24NewsHD in recognition of his exceptional performance in broadcast journalism. His unbeaten record as a public speaker across national and provincial competitions during his academic years at UET Lahore stands as one of the most distinctive achievements in his personal history. The viral reach of his “Parindey Kyun Nhi Aatey” debate and the sustained popularity of RTS with 24 Plus represent achievements in digital influence that few Pakistani media figures of his generation have matched.
Legacy and Contribution to Pakistani Media
Rehan Tariq occupies a genuinely distinctive position in contemporary Pakistani media. He is the rare media professional who crossed over from an entirely unrelated academic discipline, excelled in competitive oratory before touching a microphone professionally, and then adapted to the digital age with enough creative instinct to build one of the country’s most-watched podcast platforms. His work has helped establish that long-form, unfiltered digital journalism can be a primary media channel in Pakistan, not merely a supplement to television.
The combination of engineering discipline and journalistic curiosity gives his interviews an unusual texture: he is methodical in the way he approaches information, analytical in how he processes responses, and sufficiently confident in his own preparation to push guests into territory that more conventional interviewers avoid. That combination, rare in any media market, is the core of what makes Rehan Tariq a figure of genuine significance in Pakistan’s evolving media landscape.
Rehan Tariq in 2026
As of 2026, Rehan Tariq remains fully active across all dimensions of his career. He continues to anchor Dastak on 24NewsHD, host RTS with 24 Plus, engage in public speaking at universities and corporate events, and build his digital footprint across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. He maintains a YouTube presence through his personal channel (@rehantariq8182) in addition to the RTS with 24 Plus channel, reflecting his understanding that in modern Pakistani media, a journalist’s personal brand and their institutional affiliation must both be nurtured independently.
At approximately 40 years old, Rehan Tariq shows no sign of consolidating into a comfortable institutional role. The energy, directness, and willingness to engage with controversial material that defined his early career remain visible in his current work, and his audience continues to grow across platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rehan Tariq?
Rehan Tariq is a Pakistani broadcast journalist, public speaker, and podcast host born in Lahore. He is the anchor of Dastak on 24NewsHD and the host of RTS with 24 Plus, one of Pakistan’s most-watched digital interview podcasts.
What is Rehan Tariq’s educational background?
He earned a B.E. and MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, before transitioning into broadcast journalism.
Who is Rehan Tariq’s wife?
Rehan Tariq is married to Sehar Tariq. He keeps the details of his family life private.
What is Rehan Tariq famous for?
He is best known for hosting RTS with 24 Plus, anchoring Dastak on 24NewsHD, his viral debate “Parindey Kyun Nhi Aatey,” and his controversial podcast interviews with figures like Hakeem Shahzad.
What is Rehan Tariq’s podcast?
His podcast is called RTS with 24 Plus (Rehan Tariq Show), hosted on YouTube and distributed across TikTok and Instagram in collaboration with 24 Plus.
Has Rehan Tariq won any awards?
Yes. He has won the Best Anchor Award from 24NewsHD on consecutive occasions. He was also an unbeaten public speaker during his academic career at UET Lahore, winning dozens of national and provincial debate competitions consecutively.
What is Rehan Tariq’s most viral moment?
His debate speech with the punch line “Parindey Kyun Nhi Aatey” went viral on YouTube approximately a decade ago and remains one of the most widely shared oratory clips in Pakistani digital history.
What is Rehan Tariq doing in 2026?
He continues to anchor Dastak on 24NewsHD, host RTS with 24 Plus, and engage in public speaking and youth mentorship across Pakistan.
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