Asma Shirazi facts for kids

Asma Shirazi is a well-known journalist from Pakistan. She is famous for her brave and honest reporting. In 2014, she won a special award called the Peter Mackler Award for her excellent work. Asma Shirazi talks about politics and important news events. She currently hosts a popular news show on Hum News.

Early Life and Education

Asma Shirazi was born in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 1976. She studied political science at the Punjab University. Before becoming a TV journalist, she worked as a radio presenter for Radio Pakistan. In 2001, she started working for Geo News.

In 2006, Asma Shirazi became Pakistan's first female war correspondent. This means she reported from dangerous places where conflicts were happening. She reported from the 2006 Lebanon War and later from the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2009. She is also a member of a group called The Coalition For Women In Journalism.

Her Career in Journalism

Asma Shirazi began her career in journalism in 2000 at PTV. In 2002, she moved to Geo News. Over the years, she gained a lot of experience as a reporter and a TV host.

After working at Geo News, she joined ARY News in 2007. There, she hosted a show about current events. Later, in July 2010, she joined SAMAA TV. She also hosted a very popular show called 'Faisla Aap Ka' on Dawn News.

Asma Shirazi is known for her fair and balanced reporting. She was even given an award for being the 'Best Current Affairs Anchor'. In 2014, she hosted another show called 'Faisla Awam Ka' for Dawn News. After that, she hosted 'Faisla Aap Ka' again, but this time on Aaj News.

She has reported from many important events and conflicts. These include the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict and the Taliban violence near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in 2009. She also covered the state of emergency declared by General Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan in 2007. Additionally, she reported on the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.

Asma Shirazi has worked for many different Pakistani TV channels. These include Samaa TV, GEO News, ARY News, BOL News, Dawn News, and Express News. She also hosted two well-known TV talk shows. One of these was about parliamentary affairs, called Parliament Cafeteria. This show was banned by President Pervez Musharraf when he limited independent news coverage. On October 24, 2014, Shirazi joined BOL News as an Executive Vice President and Senior Anchorperson.

Peter Mackler Award

Asma Shirazi made history by becoming the first Pakistani journalist to win the Peter Mackler Award. She received this important award on October 23, 2014. The Peter Mackler Award is given every year to a journalist who shows great courage and honesty in their reporting. It also honors those who fight for media freedom.

Delphine Halgand, the Director of Reporters Without Borders, said that Shirazi's award honors the bravery of those who work for freedom of information in Pakistan. This is especially important because many journalists have faced dangers there.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) also recognized her important work. David Millikin, AFP's director for North America, said that AFP was happy to be part of recognizing Asma Shirazi's great courage. He noted her determination in reporting on conflicts and politics in Pakistan, even when she faced personal dangers.

See also

• Aaj News
• 92 News