The Taliban in Waziristan is led by Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani, a veteran mujahideen commander and member of the Zadran tribe, who aligned himself with the Taliban and rose to be a cabinet member of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the official name of the former Taliban government of Afghanistan).
Predominant tribes with notable large populations native to Loya Paktia include the Kharoti, Zazi, Zadran, Bangash and Sulaimankhel.
Senior Haqqani Network leader, Sangeen Zadran was the Taliban shadow governor of Paktita Province until 5 September 2013, when he was killed in a US drone strike.
He was supposedly killed in the opening days of 2002, in the American airstrike against Mullah Taha's house in Zadran.
Zadran was considered a powerful leader in the Haqqani Network, the Islamist militant group that has been the largest killer of American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Carlotta Gall, writing in the New York Times, reported that a Zadran spokesman claimed US special forces killed Pacha Khan's eldest son, and nine of his men.
Later on in February 2010, Zadran was a key member of Afghanistan's victorious 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier winning squad and was later named in Afghanistan's squad for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.