Nazifa Haqpal is a journalist, former diplomat, and the Founder and Director of Aspire Expert Research and Consultancy (AERC). As a journalist with Afghanistan International TV, she covers Afghanistan and the broader region. She specializes in international human rights law, sharia law, and gender studies, with a specific focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. She has over fifteen years of experience in governmental and non-governmental sectors. Her expertise includes strategizing, managing dynamic teams and research projects, bilateral diplomacy, policy analysis, advocacy, and conducting research on human rights issues—particularly women’s rights within the socio-political context of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the region.

Nazifa has held senior positions, including Head of the United States Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and has served in practitioner roles with international organizations such as UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) and ActionAid International in the areas of human rights and women’s empowerment.

Before founding AERC and pursuing her academic career, she served as Head of the Consulate Department and as a diplomat at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in London (2011–2015). In this role, she gained extensive knowledge of issues facing the Afghan diaspora in the UK, as well as bilateral diplomatic relations and foreign policy matters between the UK and Afghanistan.

Nazifa is currently a PhD candidate in Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. Her doctoral research focuses on legal reform aimed at securing the rights of women in post-2001 Afghanistan. Her research interests lie at the intersection of socio-legal studies, gender studies, international human rights, and sharia law. She holds a Master’s degree in International Security and Diplomacy from the University of East Anglia, UK, and a BA in Law and Political Science from Kabul University. She is an effective public speaker, media commentator, and published author.