Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani | |
|---|---|
| File:Farahnaz Ispahani 2009.jpg | |
| Spokesperson for the President of Pakistan | |
| In office 2008–2012 | |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Yousaf Raza Gillani |
| Preceded by | Major-General Rashid Qureshi |
| Majority | Pakistan People's Party |
| Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| In office 19 March 2008 – 25 May 2012 | |
| Constituency | Sindh-XI |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Farahnaz Ispahani Karachi, Pakistan |
| Citizenship | Pakistan, USA |
| Nationality | Pakistani, USA |
| Political party | Pakistan People's Party (PPP) |
| Spouse | Husain Haqqani |
| Residence(s) | Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory |
| Alma mater | Wellesley College (BSc) |
| Profession | Media administrator and political scientist |
| Committees | Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs, and Human Rights Committee |
Farahnaz Ispahani (Urdu: فرحناز اصفهانی) (born 1963) is a Pakistani author, journalist, politician, and policy analyst. She is a former Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center.[1] She is the author of "Purifying the Land of the Pure; Pakistan's Religious Minorities", which describes the problems and victimisation of religious minorities in Pakistan since its creation in 1947. Previously, she served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Media Advisor to the President of Pakistan from 2008 until 2012.[2]
Family and education
Ispahani was born in Karachi, and grew up in Karachi, Dhaka and London. She graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, majoring in political science.[3]
She is married to Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, and is the granddaughter of Pakistan's first ambassador to the United States, Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani.[4]
Professional career
Ispahani spent two decades in journalism—both print and television—before entering politics. She worked in broadcasting, working with MSNBC, CNN, (ABC) and (VOA) assisting in the launch of new programs including CNN's Paula Zahn Now and Anderson Cooper 360°. In addition, she served as the Managing Editor and Executive Producer for the Voice of America Urdu language television program Beyond the Headlines.[5] She served as Editor Special Reports for the leading Pakistani news magazine The Herald, and was the Editor of Zameen, a magazine oriented toward Pakistanis living abroad. She is a regular contributor in The News, Pakistan's second largest English-language newspaper, Express Tribune and Daily Times.
Political career
In 2008, Farahnaz Ispahani joined the National Assembly of Pakistan as a Member from the Pakistan Peoples Party, representing the Sindh province in the reserved seats for women.[6] She was a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, and the Human Rights Committee as well as Media Adviser to President Asif Ali Zardari.[7][8] In May 2012, the Supreme Court of Pakistan suspended her National Assembly membership due to her dual possession of American nationality.[9]
In 2012, Ispahani was named one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine.[10]
References
- ^ "Farahnaz Ispahani Staff Profile". The Wilson Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "Pakistan blocks, restores Twitter". The Nation. Islamabad. 21 May 2012.
- ^ "Several Year-End "Best Of" Lists Included Stories from the Wellesley College Community". 9 January 2013.
- ^ Richter, Paul (24 October 2008). "A Pakistani diplomat's delicate mission". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ http://www.voanews.com/english/About/2005-11-10-voa69.cfm
- ^ PakTribune http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?198177.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "William Hague meets NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs".
- ^ "Tribune Twitterati list: 140 characters of Pakistan". 24 June 2011.
- ^ "SC suspends Farahnaz's NA membership". The News. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
- ^ "The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers". 6 November 2012.
External links
