Farahnaz Ispahani
Farahnaz Ispahani in 2016
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
2008–2012
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
Personal details
BornKarachi, Pakistan[1]
NationalityPakistani, American
SpouseHusain Haqqani
Parent(s)Mirza Mohamed Ispahani (father)
Akhtar Ispahani (mother)
RelativesIspahani family

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.[2][3]

Personal life

She is married to Husain Haqqani[4] and is the granddaughter of Abul Hassan Isphani.[4] She attended Wellesley College.

Professional career

As a journalist, she has worked with ABC News, CNN and MSNBC.[5]

She is a writer and authored Purifying the Land of the Pure: Pakistan's Religious Minorities.[5]

In 2012, Ispahani was named one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy.[5][6] She was also named as Top 100 Women Who Matter the same year by Newsweek Pakistan.[5][7]

From 2013 to 2014, she served as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.[5]

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.[8][9] During her tenure as Member of the National Assembly, she served as media advisor to President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari[10] from 2008 until 2012[11][12] when her National Assembly membership was terminated on the basis of holding dual nationality.[9]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ "Ispahani –– putting her best foot forward". The News International. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  2. ^ Mohammad, Niala (18 May 2020). "Pakistani Ahmadi Leaders Fear Backlash After New Minority Commission Formation". VOA. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ "ADL Task Force Endorses Congressional Legislation in Support of Middle East Minorities". 4 February 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ a b c d e 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.((cite news)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  7. ^ "100 Pakistani women who matter". The Nation. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ Daniyal, Shoaib. "Minorities are invisible in Pakistan: writer Farahnaz Ispahani". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Farahnaz Ispahani". Wilson Center. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.

External links

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