Prominent Journalist and Bhutto confidante is the new ambassador to Washington After a highly public career in academia and journalism, Lodhi was recently named to Pakistan’s top diplomatic posting ambassador to Washington. “I was always very single-minded about what I wanted to do, but I guess I took a long time to express it,” says the 4lyearold. “Maybe it was because of the problems women have in Pakistan in trying to create a fulltime career for themselves.”
Maleeha Lodhi was born in Rawalpindi. She received a doctorate in politics from the London School of Economics, where she taught from 198085. Her thesis was on the Pakistan’s People’s Party government between 197077, and although it was never published, she has long been considered an authority on the subject. Retuming to Pakistan in 1986, she Joined the Muslim daily newspaper and rose swiftly to become its editor. Since 1990, she has been the editor of Pakistan’s newest English language daily, The News.
She has been friends with the prime minister since the time when Benazir Bhutto was in exile in London, Bhutto now introduces Lodhito visiting dignitaries as my strongest critic.
Her success in journalism aside, Lodhi has always wanted to be in Politics virtually impossible in Pakistan unless one has a preordained vote bank or Constituency. “It’s ironic,” she Says. “Benazir wanted to be a journalist and u always wanted to be in policymaking. At one time, I even thought of joining the Foreign Office.”
Article extracted from this publication >> March 4, 1994
