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Sherry Rehman

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Sherry Rehman
Rehman in 2013
Federal Minister of Climate Change
In office
19 April 2022 – 10 August 2023
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Preceded byMalik Amin Aslam
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Pakistan
In office
22 March 2018 – 26 August 2018
Preceded byAitzaz Ahsan
Succeeded byRaja Zafar-ul-Haq
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 June 2015
ConstituencyGeneral seat from Sindh
Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
In office
23 November 2011 – 14 October 2013
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYusuf Raza Gillani
Preceded byHusain Haqqani
Succeeded byJalil Abbas Jilani
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting
In office
31 March 2008 – 14 March 2009
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Asif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYusuf Raza Gillani
Preceded byNisar Memon
Succeeded byQamar Zaman Kaira
Federal Minister for Women Development
In office
15 May 2008 – 3 November 2008
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Asif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded byNazar Muhammad Gondal
Succeeded byAijaz Hussain Jakhrani
Federal Minister for Culture
In office
24 May 2008 – 12 August 2008
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Asif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYusuf Raza Gillani
Preceded byKhawaja Saad Rafique
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
17 March 2008 – 23 November 2011
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
In office
2002–2007
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
Personal details
Born
Shehrbano Rahman

(1960-12-21) 21 December 1960 (age 63)
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Political partyPPP (2002–present)
SpouseNadeem Hussain
Alma materSmith College
University of Sussex
AwardsNishan-e-Imtiaz (2013)
Websitewww.sherryrehman.com

Shehrbano "Sherry" Rehman (Urdu: شیری رحمان; born 21 December 1960) is a Pakistani politician and journalist who has been the member of the Senate of Pakistan since 2015. She was the first female Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from March to August 2018 and served as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States from 2011 to 2013. She is currently serving as the Federal Minister for the Ministry of Climate Change.

Born in Karachi, Rehman received her B.A. from Smith College and her M.A. in art history from the University of Sussex. In 1988, she joined the Herald as its editor and remained with the magazine until 1999. In 2002, she was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan. She was re-elected in 2008, and became a member of the Federal Cabinet under Prime Minister Gillani as the Minister for Information.

She resigned from the cabinet in 2009 and went on to serve as the Chair of the Pakistan Red Crescent and founded the non-partisan think tank, Jinnah Institute. In November 2011, she was appointed as the Ambassador to the United States and remained until April 2013. In 2015, she was elected to the Senate.

Early life and education

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Sherbano Rehman was born on 21 December 1960 in Karachi, Sindh,[1][2] to Hassanally A. Rahman, belonging to a Sindhi family. Her mother served as first vice president of the State Bank of Pakistan.[3] Rehman attended the Karachi Grammar School receiving her A level from there, she moved to the United States where she studied at the Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts,[4] where she received her B.A.[5] in political science in 1985.[6] She moved to the United Kingdom, where she received an M.A. in art history from the University of Sussex.[2] She serves as the chairperson of the Jinnah Institute, a research organisation.[4][7][8]

Professional career

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Rehman started her professional career as a journalist with The Daily Star and then joined The Herald and became its editor-in-chief at the age of 26, serving until 1998.[2][4][8] After leaving the Herald in 1998, she co-authored the book The Kashmiri Shawl: From Jamawar to Paisley.[4] She worked as a professional journalist for 20 years[3][5] and served as a member of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors from 1988 to 1998.[2] Rehman hosted a television current affairs show in 1999.[3] She has also worked for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society as chairperson.[3][9]

Political career

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She was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time as a candidate for PPP on reserved seat for women in 2002 Pakistani general election[3][4] where she remained until 2007. During her tenure as Member of the National Assembly, she remained Central Information Secretary of PPP, President of Policy Planning for the PPP and remained a part of the party's Foreign Relations Committee.[2]

Rehman was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate for PPP on the reserved seat for women from Sindh in 2008 Pakistani general election.[2][4] During her second tenure as Member of the National Assembly, she authored severals legislations which were tabled in the National Assembly.[2]

In March 2008, she was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and was appointed as the Minister for Information and Broadcasting.[10] She was given the additional ministerial portfolio of Health in April 2008, Women Development and Culture in May 2008. She remained Minister for Culture until August 2008. In November 2008, she relinquished portfolios of Health and Women Development.[11]

Rehman resigned her post as Information Minister in March 2009 in protest over government attempt to put restrictions on the freedom of the press.[5][12][13]

In 2010, she tabled a bill seeking to abolish the death penalty for blasphemy, as a result she was placed under police surveillance after receiving death threats. Rehman was accused of committing "blasphemy, a crime that carries the death penalty" in Pakistan" in connection with a 2010 TV talk show."[3] Her accusers went to the Pakistan "Supreme Court with his complaint after police refused to register it. The court ordered police in the central Pakistani city of Multan to investigate."[5][14][15]

In November 2011, Rehman was named Pakistan's Ambassador to United States following the resignation of Hussain Haqqani,[4] who was asked to resign by Prime Minister Gilani in the wake of the "Memogate" scandal.[9][12][16][17] While ambassador, she called on the United States to end its drone strikes in Pakistan.[18] She left the post in May 2013.[19]

In June 2015, she was elected to the Senate of Pakistan for the first time as a candidate of PPP on general seat from Sindh and replaced Abdul Latif Ansari.[19][20]

In March 2018, she was elected as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and became the first female in Pakistan to hold the office.[1] She served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate till August 2018.[21]

In 2020, she created controversy when she clapped back at PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz for his comments, "Mera Jism Meri Marzi, MeToo and apna khana khud garam kero." She argued that parliament should not play the culture and religious card when talking about women’s rights.[22]

As of 2020, she was the chairperson on the Senate committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).[23]

In 2022 she spoke to international media about major floods.[24] During the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, she pushed for an agreement on loss and damage, for the rich nations to compensate the poor countries for the damage they have caused, holding the Pakistani floods that year as a prime example of the damage being done by climate change. After an agreement was reached, she said that it "provides hope to vulnerable communities all over the world who are fighting for survival from climate stress, and gives some credibility to the COP process."[25]

Personal life

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Sherry Rehman is married to Nadeem Hussain, who is known for founding Tameer Microfinance Bank.[26]

Awards and recognition

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Publications

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Author

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  • The Kashmiri Shawl: From Jamavar to Paisley, Antique Collectors' Club, 2006. Co-authored with Naheed Jafri.
  • CPEC 2.0: The Promise and The Peril, Jinnah Institute, 2009.
  • Corridors of Knowledge for Peace and Development, Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2019. Contributed with the Chapter 4, "The Connectivity Dream".

Editor

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  • Womansplaining: Navigating Activism, Politics and Modernity in Pakistan, Folio Books and Jinnah Institute, 2021.

References

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  1. ^ a b Guramani, Nadir (22 March 2018). "Sherry Rehman becomes the first female Leader of the Opposition in Senate". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Sherry Rehman – profile". DAWN.COM. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Profile: Pakistan's new US envoy Sherry Rehman". BBC News. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Profile: Sherry Rehman, from journalist to ambassador – The Express Tribune". Express Tribune. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d Constable, Pamela (7 February 2012). "Pakistan's new envoy brings liberal charm but faces slim chance for diplomatic thaw". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Profile". www.senate.gov.pk. Senate of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Extraordinary Pakistanis: Sherry Rehman – The Express Tribune". Express Tribune. 21 May 2015. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Switching gears: Sherry Rehman found her calling for change – The Express Tribune". Express Tribune. 12 October 2013. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Sherry Rehman appointed Pak Ambassador to US – GEO.tv". 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 16 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  10. ^ "24-member federal cabinet takes oath". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Yousaf Raza Gillani cabinet" (PDF). Cabinet Division. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Pakistan appoints liberal lawmaker as new U.S. envoy". The Washington Post. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  13. ^ "Federal cabinet: The twists and turns". Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Ambassador from Pakistan: Who is Sherry Rehman?". AllGov. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  15. ^ "Pakistan's Sherry Rehman stands alone after colleagues' assassinations". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  16. ^ "Sherry Rehman appointed Pakistan's Ambassador to the US – The Express Tribune". Tribune.com.pk. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  17. ^ Masood, Salman; Rosenberg, Matthew (23 November 2011). "Sherry Rehman Chosen as Pakistani Ambassador to U.S." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Pakistani diplomat calls for end to U.S. drone strikes". CBC News.
  19. ^ a b "PPP's Sherry Rehman elected Senator unopposed". DAWN.COM. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  20. ^ "Sherry Rehman elected senator unopposed". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  21. ^ Guramani, Nadir (26 August 2018). "PML-N's Raja Zafarul Haq replaces Sherry Rehman as leader of the opposition in Senate". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  22. ^ Guramani, Nadir (17 January 2020). "Sherry Rehman fires back at PTI senator for appropriating women's oppression as 'culture'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Sherry Rehman demands 'concrete information' on CPEC". Daily Times (Pakistan).
  24. ^ "Pakistan floods: One third of country is under water - minister". BBC News. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  25. ^ Plumer, Brad; Friedman, Lisa; Bearak, Max; Gross, Jenny (19 November 2022). "In a First, Rich Countries Agree to Pay for Climate Damages in Poor Nations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  26. ^ https://www.dawn.com/news/1745494
  27. ^ "PM Gilani appoints Sherry Rehman ambassador to US". Business Recorder. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Zardari and Sherry among 'top Asians'". DAWN.COM. 12 January 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  29. ^ "Peace award for Sherry Rehman". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  30. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (23 March 2009). "KARACHI: Conciliatory politics need of the hour: Sherry". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  31. ^ "Sherry to get award for 'extraordinary accomplishments'". The Nation. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  32. ^ "Sherry Rehman honoured as 'Democracy's Hero' | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online". 17 January 2010. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  33. ^ "WDN to Honor Frances Fragos Townsend and Sherry Rehman with 2011 Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Award". Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  34. ^ "Sherry Rehman to get prestigious Smith College Medal". 28 July 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  35. ^ "Sherry Rehman recognised among world's top Women of Impact | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  36. ^ "PN Member Ambassador Rehman Received Highest Pakistani Civil Award | Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention". pncp.info. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  37. ^ "Ambassador Sherry Rehman recognized among world's top Women of Impact – Embassy of Pakistan, Washington D.C". Retrieved 19 January 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Information and Broadcasting
2008–2009 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
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