Hina Rabbani Khar
Encyclopedia
Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani
politician and the current Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Appointed in July of 2011, she is the first female and the youngest person to ever head Pakistani's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
.
She was elected to the National Assembly
in both 2002
and 2008
and was Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs between 2008 and 2011.
, Punjab
, Pakistan in a Muslim Rajput family. She is the daughter of politician and landowner Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar
and the niece of Ghulam Mustafa Khar, a former governor of Punjab. The Khar family has roots in the village of Khar Gharbi located in Kot Adu, a tehsil
in Muzaffargarh District
in Punjab; and has many land holdings: an estate that includes fisheries, mango orchards, and sugarcane fields. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences
in 1999 and received her M Sc (Hon) in Business Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2001.
(PML-Q)—the party of President Pervez Musharraf
—Khar was elected to the National Assembly, representing the NA-177 Muzaffargarh-II
constituency in Punjab, a position her father had held previously, but a new law requiring all candidates to hold a university degree meant he could not run that year. The Guardian
wrote, "In deference to local sensibilities about the place of women, her landlord father Noor addressed rallies and glad-handed voters; Hina stayed largely at home, with not even her photo appearing on the posters." After the PML-Q denied her a ticket for re-election in 2008, she joined the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) and was elected for a second time. The PPP won the majority of the votes and formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
. They nominated and elected Yousaf Raza Gillani
as Prime Minister
.
Between 2004 and 2007 Khar was Minister of State for Economic Affairs (Pakistan)|Minister of State for Economic Affairs. She served as Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs in the cabinet
of Gillani between 2008 and 2011. On 13 June 2009, she became the first woman to present the Pakistani budget in the National Assembly.
—the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
—on 11 February 2011, as part of Gillani's cabinet reshuffle. After Shah Mehmood Qureshi
's resignation as Foreign Minister, she became acting Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 February 2011. She was approved as Foreign Minister on 18 July and was sworn-in on 19 July, becoming the youngest and first female Minister of Foreign Affairs. President
Asif Ali Zardari
, who succeeded Musharraf in 2008, said the appointment was "a demonstration of the government's commitment to bring women into the mainstream of national life".
Shortly after her appointment, she visited India and held peace talks with her Indian counterpart, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna. Relations between the two countries had been suspended following the 2008 Mumbai attacks
, resuming in February 2011. The Indian media reported extensively on her fashion and appearance—the Birkin bag
, the sunglasses, the Jimmy Choo stilettos and the pearl necklaces, for example. She held talks with separatist leaders of Kashmir
before meeting Indian government representatives, a decision which was criticised by Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), the main opposition party of India, who said it was a breach of protocol and demanded an inquiry into the matter. In August 2011 she visited China and held talks with Yang Jiechi, the Chinese foreign minister. Hindustan Times
reported that, in contrast to her reception in India, she was largely ignored by Chinese media.
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Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
politician and the current Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Appointed in July of 2011, she is the first female and the youngest person to ever head Pakistani's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also known as Foreign Ministry, is a Government of Pakistan's federal and executive Ministry which is responsible for international and Foreign Affairs. The ministry was created in 1947, and was one of the first ministries to be established...
.
She was elected to the National Assembly
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
in both 2002
Pakistani general election, 2002
General elections were held in Pakistan on 10 October 2002 during the military regime of Pervez Musharraf.-Parties and candidates:More than 70 parties, contested the election, the main parties were the Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Group, Muttahida Quami Movement ,...
and 2008
Pakistani general election, 2008
A general election was held in Pakistan on 18 February 2008, after being postponed from 8 January 2008. The original date was intended to elect members of the National Assembly of Pakistan, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora...
and was Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs between 2008 and 2011.
Early life and education
Hina Rabbani Khar was born on 19 November 1977 in MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan in a Muslim Rajput family. She is the daughter of politician and landowner Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar
Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar
Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician. He was elected Member of National Assembly in 1990 and 1997 from Muzaffargarh. He was also elected member of Punjab Assembly in 1985 and 1988. He served as Provincial Minister of Punjab in Nawaz Sharif Government in Punjab from 1988 to 1990...
and the niece of Ghulam Mustafa Khar, a former governor of Punjab. The Khar family has roots in the village of Khar Gharbi located in Kot Adu, a tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
in Muzaffargarh District
Muzaffargarh District
Muzaffargarh is a district in the south of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Saraiki Waseb. It is spread over an area of 8,249 km². Muzaffargarh District lies in the strip between the rivers Chenab and Indus, which pass along the Eastern and Western boundaries respectively of...
in Punjab; and has many land holdings: an estate that includes fisheries, mango orchards, and sugarcane fields. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences
Lahore University of Management Sciences
The Lahore University of Management Sciences, usually referred to by its acronym LUMS, is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. LUMS was established in 1984 by a group of industrialists and people belonging to Pakistan's leading private and public sector corporations, to provide rigorous...
in 1999 and received her M Sc (Hon) in Business Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2001.
Personal life
She is married to Firoze Gulzar, with whom she has two daughters, Annaya and Dina . She is the co-owner of the Polo Lounge restaurant on the Lahore Polo Grounds. She prefers healthy diet and sojaPolitical career
In the 2002 general elections, as a candidate with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q)Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections....
(PML-Q)—the party of President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
—Khar was elected to the National Assembly, representing the NA-177 Muzaffargarh-II
Muzaffargarh
Muzaffargarh is a city in southwestern Punjab, Pakistan, located on the bank of the Chenab River. The Town of Muzaffargarh was founded in 1794 by the Governor of Mulran Nawab Muzaffar Khan.The Meaning of Muzaffargarh is "Fort of Muzaffar" because the old town lies inside the walls of a fort built...
constituency in Punjab, a position her father had held previously, but a new law requiring all candidates to hold a university degree meant he could not run that year. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote, "In deference to local sensibilities about the place of women, her landlord father Noor addressed rallies and glad-handed voters; Hina stayed largely at home, with not even her photo appearing on the posters." After the PML-Q denied her a ticket for re-election in 2008, she joined the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP) and was elected for a second time. The PPP won the majority of the votes and formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
. They nominated and elected Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousuf Raza Gilani is the current prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was nominated as Prime Minister by the PPP, with the support of its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League , Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on 22 March 2008...
as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
.
Between 2004 and 2007 Khar was Minister of State for Economic Affairs (Pakistan)|Minister of State for Economic Affairs. She served as Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs in the cabinet
Cabinet of Pakistan
The Cabinet of Pakistan is headed by Prime Minister and plays an important role in the Government of Pakistan, in accordance with the Westminster System....
of Gillani between 2008 and 2011. On 13 June 2009, she became the first woman to present the Pakistani budget in the National Assembly.
Foreign Minister
Khar was appointed Minister of State for Foreign AffairsMinister of State for Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is the junior minister in the government and the deputy head of Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the Foreign Minister. The current Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is Ahmed Poria who took charge in July, 2011....
—the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also known as Foreign Ministry, is a Government of Pakistan's federal and executive Ministry which is responsible for international and Foreign Affairs. The ministry was created in 1947, and was one of the first ministries to be established...
—on 11 February 2011, as part of Gillani's cabinet reshuffle. After Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Hussain Qureshi is well-known Politician in Pakistan. He was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan in the coalition government of PPP, Muttahida Quami Movement[MQM], ANP and JUI-F formed after the 2008 general elections. He was a senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party, where...
's resignation as Foreign Minister, she became acting Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 February 2011. She was approved as Foreign Minister on 18 July and was sworn-in on 19 July, becoming the youngest and first female Minister of Foreign Affairs. President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, who succeeded Musharraf in 2008, said the appointment was "a demonstration of the government's commitment to bring women into the mainstream of national life".
Shortly after her appointment, she visited India and held peace talks with her Indian counterpart, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna. Relations between the two countries had been suspended following the 2008 Mumbai attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
, resuming in February 2011. The Indian media reported extensively on her fashion and appearance—the Birkin bag
Birkin Bag
The Birkin bag is a handmade purse by Hermès and named after actress and singer Jane Birkin. The bag is a symbol of wealth due to its high price and elusiveness to the public....
, the sunglasses, the Jimmy Choo stilettos and the pearl necklaces, for example. She held talks with separatist leaders of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
before meeting Indian government representatives, a decision which was criticised by Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP), the main opposition party of India, who said it was a breach of protocol and demanded an inquiry into the matter. In August 2011 she visited China and held talks with Yang Jiechi, the Chinese foreign minister. Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
reported that, in contrast to her reception in India, she was largely ignored by Chinese media.
Further reading
- Wright, Tom. "Pakistan Close to Naming First Female Foreign Minister". The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
. 24 June 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. - Aziz, Faisal; Conway, Rebecca. "Pakistan's new FM faces challenges abroad, at home". ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
. 20 July 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. Archived 29 August 2011. - Khan, M Ilyas. "Will Pakistan's first woman foreign minister make a difference?". BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
. 21 July 2011. Accessed 29 August 2011. - Sharma, Neha. "Hina Rabbani Khar - a style icon". Hindustan TimesHindustan TimesHindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
. 27 July 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. - Buchsteiner, Jochen. "Chefverkäuferin des weichen Pakistan" (Google translation). Frankfurter Allgemeine ZeitungFrankfurter Allgemeine ZeitungThe Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
. 27 July 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. - "Profiling Hina Rabbani Khar". Hindustan TimesHindustan TimesHindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
. 28 July 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. - Islam, Faris. "Dissecting the double standard". DawnDawn (newspaper)Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
. 28 July 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. - Razvi, Murtaza. "Hina Rabbani Khar: Pakistan's weakness, not strength". The Economic TimesThe Economic TimesThe Economic Times is an English-language Indian daily newspaper published by the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.. The Economic Times was started in 1961. It is the most popular and widely read financial daily in India, read by more than 8 lakh people...
. 31 July 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011. - Taseer, Shehrbano. "Hina Rabbani Khar offers hope to Pakistan". The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. 2 August 2011. Accessed 30 August 2011.
External links
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