Talat Farooq is an educator, human rights activist, poet, columnist, and the executive editor of the research journal Criterion Quarterly in Islamabad, Pakistan. Criterion describes itself as a quarterly magazine that aims "at producing well researched articles for discerning readership," and indicates that "the editorial board is neutral in its stance." Farooq holds an M.Phil. in American Studies

American studies

American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...

.

Farooq writes poetry in Urdu

Urdu

Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

, Potohari, and Seraeki

Saraiki language

Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...

, and her collection Titley Key Rang Hazaar – one of two poetry collections she has written – highlights women's issues. It focuses on powerlessness of women, and describes instances of gender violence.

Her second book of verse, Scheherzade, contains poems that raise the issue of women’s rights such as,"Violence against Women" and "Sonia Naz". It also contains poems on democracy, the visit of President Bush to Pakistan, the lawyers movement, the 2008 Pakistani elections, and Benazir’s assassination.

In October 2007, as part of a delegation from Pakistan she visited Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

 and spoke at the International Conference organized by Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan, presenting a paper on “Roomi’s Influence in Iqbal

Muhammad Iqbal

Sir Muhammad Iqbal , commonly referred to as Allama Iqbal , was a poet and philosopher born in Sialkot, then in the Punjab Province of British India, now in Pakistan...

’s poetic thought”.

Farooq is also associated with Military Hospital’s Female Psychiatry Ward. Her husband is the former chief of staff of Pakistan Navy and has also served as Rector of bahria University.
Since May 2010 she has joined University of Leicester UK as a full time PhD student. Her research pertains to post-9/11 American foreign policy toward Pakistan.

Select articles

• "A Girl's Flogging and the Art of Obfuscation", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  , April 7, 2009
• "Children and War", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  , June 13, 2009
• "Those Left Behind", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  , December 19, 2009
• "Daughters of a Lesser God?", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  , March 3, 2010
• "Burned at the Stake", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  
• "Kudos to the Media", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  
• "The Feast is Finished", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
  
  
• "Pakistani law un-Islamic?", The News International
  The News International
  The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...