Maliha Lodhi

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Doctor Maliha Lodhi, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, is a journalist, professor, and diplomat from Pakistan. Currently, she is the high commissioner of Pakistan to the United Kingdom, and a former ambassador to the United States. She is also a member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Dr. Maliha got her School education in Lahore and Rawalpindi. After her B.Sc. in Economics, Ms. Lodhi obtained a Ph.D. in 1980 from the London School of Economics (LSE). Began with teaching for a short while at the Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, she then taught at LSE for five years, before returning to Pakistan to work for and then edit the English language newspaper The Muslim and later to become the founding editor of The News International. She became the first woman in Asia to edit a national daily newspaper. She became the Pakistani Ambassador to the US, under two different Presidents from 1994-1997 and then during 1999-2002 (in the process becoming Pakistan's longest ever serving Ambassador to the US) before relinquishing her post on the completion of her second tour of duty. Since 2001 she has also served on the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Affairs and continues to do so while holding the post of Pakistan's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Recipient of the 2002 Hilal-e-Imtiaz Presidential award for public service, she is the author of two essay collections, Pakistan’s Encounter with Democracy and The External Challenge (both from Lahore Jang Publications, 1994). In 1994, Time Magazine cited Dr Lodhi as one of 100 global pacesetters and leaders who would define the 21st century, and the only person from Pakistan in the list. Dr. Maliha is divorced with one son.