Maria Wasti (born on Aug 14, 1980) is a Pakistani film, television actress and host. She currently hosts the talk show Sunrise From Istanbul on Turkey-based Pakistani television channel See TV.
Wasti was born to a Punjabi family in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. She spent her early years in Tanzania before moving to Pakistan with her family. She is the niece of Rizwan Wasti and Tahira Wasti. Wasti's parents wanted their daughter to become a doctor however she preferred a career in entertainment. In the day, the only television network active in the country was the government-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). It would be later in the 1990s that Network Television Marketing (NTM), the country's first privately owned channel, showcased content specifically targeted to the younger generation and Wasti got interested in acting.
In mid-1990s, she was approached by Bakhtiar Ahmed, the programme manager PTV Lahore Centre to be cast in a play called Sarah Aur Ammara alongside Resham, a film actress. The teleplay highlighted a story about two sisters going through the turmoil of arranged marriages. She has since done over 50 serials and around the same number of assorted plays.