Maleeha Lodhi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Maleeha Lodhi مليحه لودھى HI
Lodhi at the Pakistan-US talks in 2001

Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations
In office 6 February 2015 – 30 October 2019
President	Mamnoon Hussain Arif Alvi
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Nasirul Mulk (Caretaker) Imran Khan
Preceded by	Masood Khan
Succeeded by	Munir Akram
17th Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
In office 17 December 1999 – 4 August 2002
President	Pervez Musharraf Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Preceded by	Riaz Khokhar
Succeeded by	Ashraf Qazi
In office 21 January 1994 – 30 January 1997
President	Farooq Leghari
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif
Preceded by	Syeda Abida Hussain
Succeeded by	Riaz Khokhar
High Commissioner of Pakistan to the United Kingdom
In office 1 April 2003 – 14 June 2008
President	Pervez Musharraf
Prime Minister	Zafarullah Khan Jamali Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Shaukat Aziz
Preceded by	Abdul Kader Jaffer
Succeeded by	Wajid Shamsul Hasan

Personal details
Born	15 nov 1952 Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistan
Alma mater	London School of Economics
Occupation	Diplomat, strategist, academician
Awards	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2002)

Maleeha Lodhi (Urdu: مليحه لودهى; born 15 November 1952) is a famous Pakistani diplomat and expert in politics. She has held many important roles for Pakistan around the world. She was the first woman to be Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations. She also served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States twice and as its High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Maleeha Lodhi was born in Lahore. She studied political science at the London School of Economics. After getting her advanced degree in 1980, she taught there for a while. In 1986, she came back to Pakistan. She became the editor of The Muslim newspaper. This made her the first woman in Asia to lead a national newspaper. Later, she helped start The News International newspaper.

In 1994, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chose her to be Pakistan's ambassador to the United States. She held this job until 1997. She was appointed to the same role again in 1999 by President Pervez Musharraf and served until 2002. After that, she became the High Commissioner to the UK. From 2001 to 2005, Lodhi was part of the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Disarmament. In 2015, she became Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN in New York City, again being the first woman to hold this position.

Maleeha Lodhi is known as one of Pakistan's top diplomats. Time magazine once named her one of 100 people who would help shape the 21st century. She has received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz award for her public service. She has also written several books about Pakistan's politics and challenges.

Early Life and Education
A Career in Journalism
Representing Pakistan Abroad
See also

Early Life and Education

Entrance to Department of Government at London School of Economics, where Lodhi studied and later taught.

Maleeha Lodhi grew up in Lahore, Punjab. Her family was well-off. Her father was the first Pakistani head of a British oil company in Pakistan. Her mother had a master's degree in journalism but chose to stay home and raise her children. Maleeha has two siblings. She was married to a banker and has a son named Faisal.

She went to school in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and the United Kingdom. In 1972, she started studying economics at the London School of Economics. She earned her degree in economics, focusing on political science, in 1976. In 1980, she completed her advanced degree in political science. Her research was about the political changes in Pakistan between 1971 and 1977.

A Career in Journalism

After finishing her studies, Maleeha Lodhi taught for a short time at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad in 1980. Then, she went back to London. She taught political sociology at the London School of Economics until 1985.

In 1986, she returned to Pakistan. She became the editor of the English newspaper The Muslim in 1987. This was a big step, as she was the first woman in Asia to edit a national daily newspaper. In 1990, she became the first editor of The News International. She worked there until 1993, when she was chosen to be Pakistan's ambassador to the United States. She later returned to The News International as its chief editor from 1997 to 1999.

Representing Pakistan Abroad

Ambassador to the United States

Lodhi stayed at the Pakistani ambassador's residence located in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Dr. Lodhi served as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States two times. Her first term was from 1993 to 1996. Her second term was from 1999 to 2002. She became Pakistan's longest-serving Ambassador to the US.

During her time as ambassador, she was involved in important discussions. For example, she was present at a key meeting in 2001 about Pakistan's role in fighting terrorism. She also spoke about the difference between fighting terrorism and the issue of self-determination for the Kashmiri people.

Maleeha Lodhi received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz award in 2002 for her public service. She has written books like Pakistan's Encounter with Democracy and The External Challenge. Her book Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis State was published in 2011. In 1994, Time magazine recognized her as one of 100 global leaders who would help shape the 21st century.

We're struggling out here, but there is not enough knowledge. We're depicted sometimes as a rogue state, and that is not fair.

—Lodhi talking to Los Angeles Times on 5 April 1994

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

In 2003, Maleeha Lodhi was appointed as Pakistan's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London. She served in this role for five years, returning to Pakistan in 2008.

Working at the United Nations

The office of Pakistan's mission to the UN located on the East 65th Street.

In February 2015, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed Maleeha Lodhi as Pakistan's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations in New York City. She was the first woman from Pakistan to hold this important position.

In her first speech at the UN, she talked about finding solutions to terrorism. She also spoke about the importance of education for girls. She mentioned how Pakistan was using special programs to help girls get an education.

It took my country 67 years to send a woman to the United Nations, it takes a while, but eventually we get there.

—Lodhi talking to United Nations Population Fund Q&A on 11 Mar 2015

As the President of the executive board of UNICEF, Lodhi wrote an article for CNN. She said that people who provide humanitarian aid should be protected. Under her leadership, UNICEF worked to give every child a fair chance in life. She finished her year-long term as UNICEF President in January 2016.

In 2016, Lodhi spoke against adding new permanent members to the United Nations Security Council. She believed that expanding the council with more non-permanent members would make it more fair and open.

In August 2015, Lodhi rang the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York. This was a special event to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day. She said that Pakistan's economy was growing and welcoming to investors. In 2016, she invited actor Leonardo DiCaprio to visit Pakistan after meeting him at the UN.

In 2017, Lodhi gave the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, information about an Indian spy and evidence of an attempted border violation. She also spoke against a proposal for UN security reform, saying it didn't value fair representation. She stated that Pakistan supports the Palestinian people, even when facing threats from other countries.

In September 2019, she was replaced by Munir Akram as Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Maleeha Lodhi facts for kids

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