people
T H E
INTERVIEW
Interview by Charles Padgett
The interview with The Honorable Consul General of Pakistan Aisha Farooqui
was incredible. She has a passion for her job that you could feel through the way
she spoke of her country and its rich culture. She understands the weight of her
duties and approaches the responsibilities impeccably with her years of experi-
ence in diplomacy. One of the things that stood out the most was the closeness
she feels with the Pakistani-American community. She spoke of tapping into the
nostalgic love of her homeland amongst the population of Pakistani-Americans
living in the states while showing Americans the beauties of Pakistani culture.
Through this interview I want to give the reader an inside look into
Aisha Farooqui’s duties and the goals of her office.
Q: First, tell us alittle about yourself and walk us through your background.
A: “I am a Diplomat of Pakistan and have been since 1994. I majored in International Relations
while studying political science. I then continued my course on International relations in Graduate
School in Islamabad. After taking the national exam and joining the foreign services I have served in
our missions in Paris, Cairo, London, Ankara in Turkey, and now in Houston. I have worked hard at
each mission and at the Headquarters of Foreign Ministry to rise through the ranks and be where I
am today. While working at The Headquarters of Foreign Ministry in Islamabad I was the director of
India for more than two years and the director of the Americas as well. This included serious policy
work and bilateral relations of pakistan with several pivotal countries. It has been an interesting jour-
ney so far, and I am happy to be in Houston now.”
46 iF Magazine | October 2017