On the 19th of April, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 37-member cabinet finally took the oath; these included federal ministers and state ministers.
The 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan took his ‘sweet time’ announcing his cabinet. His announcement came 8 days after he took the oath. The reason cited for the delay was that he wanted to form an “inclusive government.” It is pertinent to mention that only five women made it to the PM’s 37-member cabinet, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sherry Rehman, Shazia Marri, Hina Rabbani Khar, and Aisha Ghaus Pasha.
Hina Rabbani Khar
Khar was previously appointed as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in July 2011 at the age of 33, which made her the youngest person and the first woman to have held the position. This is the second time she has been appointed as the State Minister for Foreign Affairs but under Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet. She was born in Muzaffargarh and belonged to a political family. She received her education at LUMS and U Mass – Amherst before entering politics as a member of the national assembly in 2002.
Marriyum Aurangzeb
Marriyum Aurangzeb has been assigned the portfolio of Information and Broadcasting. In 2016, she first held responsibility as the Minister for Broadcasting, Information, and National Heritage in then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.
Since 2018, she has been frequently seen alongside PML-N’s vice president Maryam Nawaz at political gatherings and media interactions. Aurangzeb went to Saint Paul’s Cambridge School in Rawalpindi and completed her graduation from the Federal Government College in Islamabad. For her master’s degree, she moved to London to study environmental and development policy at King’s College London.
Sherry Rehman
Sherry Rehman was the first female opposition leader in the Senate from March to August 2018 and served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States from 2011 to 2013. The politician and former diplomat have been part of the Senate since 2015. Rehman completed her B. A from Smith College and her M.A in art history from the University of Sussex. The current government has tasked sherry Rehman to lead Pakistan’s response to climate change as federal minister. Rehman has also received the Nishan-i-Imtiaz.
Shazia Marri
Shazia Marri is the daughter of Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Atta Muhammad Marri. She is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. She has become the Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Advisor, replacing Dr. Sania Nishtar. She has a BA degree [institution not specified]. Previously, Marri has served as the provincial minister for information and culture.
Aisha Ghaus Pasha
The former finance minister of Punjab and PML-N lawmaker Aisha Ghaus Pasha was made the State Minister under Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet after he convinced her that he needed educated people to shift the economy. She doesn’t come from a political background and is the wife of economist Hafeez Pasha.
“We need to think about Pakistan beyond party politics. Women’s issues like their representation in labor, assemblies, (and) economy shouldn’t be politicized,” Aisha said.
Pakistan’s First Woman Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, is Back in Key Role & her Style Game is on Point. Read the full story here:
Pakistan’s first woman foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, is back in the key role. Khar took an oath as a foreign minister on the 19th of April, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 37-member cabinet. It is pertinent to mention that only five women made it to the PM’s 37-member cabinet, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sherry Rehman, Shazia Marri, Hina Rabbani Khar, and Aisha Ghaus Pasha.
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