Nadira Zaheer was born on the 20th of January 1948 to communist leader Syed Sajjad Zaheer and Urdu writer Razia Sajjad Zaheer, Nadira is third amongst four sisters, Najma Ali Baquer, Naseem Bhatia and Noor Sajjad Zaheer. Her parents were actively associated with Progressive Writers’ Association, and IPTA, giving her an upbringing strongly rooted culture and theatre.