ISLAMABAD: The cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sported some new faces and parties that were previously not in the picture. His team so far has a total of five women on board — three federal ministers and two state ministers.
Here\’s a quick glance at the women inducted in the new federal cabinet.
Marriyum Aurangzeb
She has been assigned the portfolio of Information and Broadcasting, a role she is intimately familiar with, as she was the mouthpiece of the previous PML-N government.
Immediately after completing her masters in development and environmental policy from the UK, Aurangzeb, just like her parents, placed her loyalties in PML-N\’s camp in 2013 when she became a member of the National Assembly after being given the party\’s reserved women\’s seat.
In 2016, she first assumed office as the minister for Broadcasting, Information, and National Heritage in then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif\’s cabinet. She continued in her role even after Nawaz was disqualified and replaced by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Even after 2018, the PML-N leader remained in the limelight, frequently appearing alongside party vice-president Maryam Nawaz at all political gatherings and holding frequent media interactions critical of the government of Imran Khan, who was removed as prime minister in a vote of no-confidence earlier this month.
More recently, Aurangzeb had been seen advocating for the rights of media persons and free speech, and has promised to end the \”draconian censorship on Pakistani journalism\”.
Sherry Rehman
Pakistan’s first woman Senate opposition leader, vice-president of the PPP and recipient of the Nishan-i-Imtiaz, Sherry Rehman has been tasked with leading Pakistan\’s response to climate change as federal minister.
According to the Senate website, the PPP stalwart has a long list of achievements. After completing her masters from the UK, Rehman started her professional career in journalism with The Daily Star and then became the editor-in-chief of The Herald.
After working in the field for nearly 20 years, Rehman stepped into politics in 2002 after being named a lawmaker on PPP\’s reserved women\’s seat. During her tenure, she has held important positions in the party, such as the central information secretary, president of policy planning, and member of the Foreign Relations Committee.
However, it was in 2008 when her political career truly kicked off after she was appointed federal minister for Information and Broadcasting. Rehman also served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US from 2011 to 2013 and became the first woman opposition leader in the Senate.
She is also the architect of the first parliamentary charter and bill for women\’s 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.
Moreover, as a 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 was also conferred with the Nishan-i-Imtiaz in March 2013.
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