Quick Facts
Biography
Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari (Urdu: شیرین مہرالنساء مزاری) is a Pakistani politician who is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and serves as a chief whip for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Mazari studied at the London School of Economics and later received her PhD from Columbia University in political science. Mazari joined Quaid-e-Azam University as an associate professor and and went on to head the university's strategic strategic studies department. In 2002, Mazari became the head of the government-funded Institute of Strategic Studies and remained until she was sacked in 2008. In 2009, Mazari became the editor of the The Nation.
Mazari joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 2008 and was elected to the National Assembly in 2013 from Punjab.
Early life and education
Mazari is a graduate of the London School of Economics. She received her PhD in Political science from Columbia University.
Professional career
In 2008, Government of Pakistan removed Mazari from the post of Director General of The Institute of Strategic Studies where she was due to retire in 2009.
In 2009, Mazari was appointed as the editor of The Nation. She also hosted a weekly television show on the Waqt News. Mazari came under intensive criticism from the Committee to Protect Journalists after she publicly alleged an American journalist to be a CIA spy.
She had been an associate professor at Quaid-i-Azam University and later became chairperson of the university's Department of Defense and Strategic Studies.
Political career
Mazari joined the PTI in 2008 citing "policy differences and its takeover by corrupt elements" after she was served a show cause notice by PTI for “making unfounded, incorrect, inaccurate and false statements in the media.”
In 2009, she was Information Secretary and Spokesperson of PTI.
In 2012, she resigned from PTI where she was the Central Vice President and incharge of Foreign Policy.
She rejoined PTI in 2013.
She was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time in Pakistani general election, 2013 on the ticket of PTI on reserved seats for women from Punjab.
She was the chief whip of PTI in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Controversies
In 2016, Defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif called her "tractor trolley" during the session in the National Assembly.
She was nicknamed "Lady Taliban" for her political views.