Gharida Farooqi

Gharidah Farooqi is a Pakistani television host and journalist. She works as an anchorperson for Samaa News. Currently, she hosts the political debate program titled "60 Minutes".

Early life and education

Gharidah Farooqi was born on 1 April 1978. Although some sources list her birthplace as Saudi Arabia, Wikipedia reports she was born in Multan, Pakistan. She pursued higher education in her home country. Farooqi earned a master's degree in International Relations from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan. This academic background provided the foundation for her later work in political journalism.

Career

Farooqi began her professional journey at PTV News. She worked there as a newscaster from 2005 to 2007. Following this period, she moved to Dunya News for a short duration in 2007. Her career progressed significantly when she joined Geo News in 2008. She remained with the media group until 2012.

During her tenure at Geo News, she hosted various programs. In September 2015, she interviewed Rana Sanaullah Khan, who served as the Law Minister for the provincial government of Punjab, on her show "G for Gharida". Her broadcasting style is described as bold and outstanding.

Farooqi has faced significant challenges within the media landscape. According to a 2024 article by the New York-based non-profit 'Coalition For Women In Journalism', she was a target of organized harassment campaigns. The organization published a timeline covering events from 2016 to 2024. This report suggests that journalists like Farooqi often become victims of cross-fire between rival political parties in Pakistan.

She has since transitioned to Samaa News. There, she continues her work hosting political discussions.

Personal life

Farooqi was involved in a legal matter regarding a domestic worker. On 25 July 2017, Lahore police recovered a fifteen year old maid from her home. The authorities alleged the child had been kept in illegal detention and tortured. Farooqi was never convicted in a Pakistani court of law regarding these allegations of abuse.

A settlement was reached later that year. On 23 August 2017, Farooqi reached an agreement with the mother of the maid. The mother, identified as Nasima, reportedly stated that she was no longer pursuing the case against the anchorperson. This resolution concluded the legal dispute regarding the incident.