Zafar Hashemi | |
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![]() Zafar Hashemi at the Presidential Palace, Arg | |
Deputy spokesperson of the Government of Afghanistan | |
In office 27 May 2015 – 31 January 2017 | |
President | Ashraf Ghani |
Preceded by | Aimal Faizi |
Personal details | |
Born | Afghanistan | February 17, 1985
Nationality | ![]() ![]() |
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater | University of Maryland Johns Hopkins University |
Zafar Hashemi (Persian: ظفر هاشمی; born February 17, 1985) is Afghan-American who serves as special advisor on Afghanistan for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Previously, he worked as the political counselor at the embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. He was also the deputy (and for nine months acting) spokesperson of the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani until January 2017.[1]
Life and career
An ethnic Tajik, Hashemi fled Afghanistan as a child to Pakistan during the Taliban regime. He later resided in the U.S. to study, achieving a bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Maryland and a master's degree in public administration at Johns Hopkins University. Before immigrating to the United States in 2007, Hashemi managed communication and public affairs of Afghanistan Stabilization Program (ASP) under the Interior Ministry, and prior to that he was a journalist and a radio presenter for Nawa 103.1 FM in 2007, and later at AWAZ.[2] He later became a television presenter and journalist at Voice of America (VOA) in Washington DC.[3]
References
- ^ "Former Scripps Howard Intern Named Deputy Spokesman to Afghan President | ICFJ - International Center for Journalists". ICFJ.org. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ^ "Database". Afghan-bios.info. 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ^ Says, I. M. (2015-05-27). "Syed Zafar Hashemi appointed as deputy spokesman to President Ghani - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency". The Khaama Press News Agency. Retrieved 2016-12-01.