Sherry Rehman

Sherry Rehman is the founding Chair of the Jinnah Institute, a non-partisan public policy think tank committed to the strengthening of democracy, governance and an independent national security project in Pakistan. As serving President of the institute, Rehman identifies its core priorities as the re-gaining of space for moderate voices in the context of an extremist advance. She co-chairs several track-two strategic dialogues with India, and is convener of a similar institutionalized dialogue process between Pakistan and Afghanistan. She lectures widely on strategic security challenges facing Pakistan, and was a key member of the Legislative Councils that govern both Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Sherry Rehman has served as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States (Nov 2011-May 2013);Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pakistan (2008-09) and ranking member of the National Security Committee in the Parliament. Rehman also held three additional portfolios of Health, Women Development and Culture as Federal Minister in 2008. In 2009 she resigned all her cabinet posts in a successful bid to thwart a curtailment of media freedoms.

Rehman is also an award-winning journalist from Pakistan with 20 years of experience in both the broadcast and the print media. Former editor of the “Herald” newsmagazine based in Pakistan, she studied art history and politics at the Smith College, USA, and the University of Sussex, UK. In her capacity as a senior journalist, Rehman has been the first Pakistani media person to be recognized by the UK House of Lords for independent journalism at the Annual British Muslim Ceremony in 2002.

As Federal Minister and on behalf of the democratic government led by the PPP, Sherry Rehman made history by preparing and delivering a comprehensive briefing on National Security to an in camera joint sitting of Pakistan’s Parliament in October 2008. The briefing led to the adoption of the Joint Resolution on Terrorism, the first ever official consensus by public representatives on the issue of terrorism in the country.

Sherry Rehman is also the architect of the first parliamentary charter and bill for women empowerment, mover of the Hudood Ordinances Repeal Bill, mover of the Anti-Honour Killings Bill, as well as the Freedom of Information Act 2004. Her bills include the removal of colonial press laws in Pakistan, as well as legislation on Domestic Violence and Affirmative Action for women. As Minister, she moved the first government bill of the 2008 National Assembly for the repeal of martial law-led anti-media clauses in the Electronic Media Regulatory Ordinance. In August 2008, Rehman’s move to repeal similar amendments in the Print and Publication Ordinance paved the way for constitutional protection for the print media (RTI bill).

Rehman remains the only legislator in Pakistan who has ever moved parliament for amending laws that mis-use the Pakistan's Blasphemy provisions.

As a political activist, Sherry Rehman has also served as President of Central Policy Planning for three terms, and the Central Information Secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party for two terms. Sherry Rehman has also served as Chairperson of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society in 2011.

Sherry Rehman was recently awarded the title of ‘Democracy’s Hero’ (2009), by the International Republican Institute, for her services for democracy. She was also presented ‘The Freedom Award’ Pakistan in 2009 by the Association of Television Journalists for her work for media independence in Pakistan. In 2008, she was presented the International Peace Award for Democrats by the International Human Rights Commission. Her most recent award is Jeanne Kirkpatrick Award for Women in 2011. The March 2011 issue of Newsweek Pakistan ranked her on its cover as “Pakistan’s Most Important Woman”. Foreign Policy magazine has identified Rehman as one of 2011’s Top Global Thinkers.

In civil society, Sherry Rehman has been an active proponent for the provision of better access to health and educational resources, particularly for women and children from the lower-income sections of Pakistani society. In this respect, Rehman is Chair of the Lady Dufferin Foundation Trust, the largest non-profit provider of women and children’s subsidized healthcare in the province of Sindh. In her seven-year term as Chair, Rehman has spearheaded the construction of a state-of the art seven-storey hospital building at the 100-year old Dufferin Hospital. She has also served on the board of several educational institutions, namely the Sindh University and the International School in Karachi as well as the Mohatta Palace Gallery Trust. Rehman is also one of the founding members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and on the Syndicate of the Quaid-e-Azam University.

Sherry Rehman’s book on ‘Five Hundred Years of The Kashmiri Shawl’ has been published in 2006 by Mapin India and Antique Collectors Club, UK. That same year, it was awarded the prestigious R. L. Shep Ethnic Textiles Book Award from the Textile Society of America.

Before her designation as Pakistan’s Ambassador to United States Sherry Rehman was Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Pakistan Peoples Party for her second term. For her services to Pakistan, she has been awarded the state's highest civil award, the Nishan-i-Imtiaz in March 2013.

www.sherryrehman.com