Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani (Urdu: فرح ناز اصفہانی) is a Pakistani-American writer and former politician who served as member of the National Assembly of Pakistan between 2008 and 2012. She is a Senior Fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute and a member of the Anti-Defamation League Task Force on Middle East Minorities in Washington, D.C.[1][2]
Farahnaz Ispahani | |
---|---|
Farahnaz Ispahani in 2016 | |
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
In office 2008–2012 | |
Constituency | Reserved seat for women |
Personal details | |
Born | Chittagong, East Pakistan |
Nationality | Pakistani, American |
Spouse(s) | Husain Haqqani |
Parents | Mirza Mohamed Ispahani (father) Akhtar Ispahani (mother) |
Relatives | Ispahani family |
Personal life
She is married to Husain Haqqani[3] and the granddaughter of Abul Hassan Isphani.[3] She attended Wellesley College
Professional career
As a journalist, she has worked with ABC News, CNN and MSNBC.[4]
She is a writer and authored Purifying the Land of the Pure: Pakistan's Religious Minorities.[4]
In 2012, Ispahani was named one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy.[4][5] She was also named as Top 100 Women Who Matter the same year by Newsweek Pakistan.[4][6]
From 2013 to 2014, she served as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.[4]
Political career
She was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party on a seat reserved for women from Sindh in the 2008 Pakistani general election.[7][8] During her tenure as Member of the National Assembly, she served as Media Advisor to President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari[9] from 2008 until 2012[10][11] when her National Assembly membership was terminated on the basis of holding dual nationality.[8]
References
- Mohammad, Niala (18 May 2020). "Pakistani Ahmadi Leaders Fear Backlash After New Minority Commission Formation". VOA. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- "ADL Task Force Endorses Congressional Legislation in Support of Middle East Minorities". 4 February 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- Richter, Paul (24 October 2008). "A Pakistani diplomat's delicate mission". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- Diplomat, Muhammad Akbar Notezai, The (10 March 2016). "Interview: Farahnaz Ispahani". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- "The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- "100 Pakistani women who matter". The Nation. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- "Nov 17 by-election on vacant PA seats - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- Ghumman, Khawar (22 June 2012). "Only 300 votes polled in house of 342". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- "Farahnaz says fled Pakistan for fear of kidnapping by ISI". DAWN.COM. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- Daniyal, Shoaib. "Minorities are invisible in Pakistan: writer Farahnaz Ispahani". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- "Farahnaz Ispahani". Wilson Center. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.