Sherry Rehman

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.

Sherbano Rehman was born on 21 December 1960 in Karachi, Sindh, to Hassanally A. Rahman, belonging to a Sindhi family. Her mother served as first vice president of the State Bank of Pakistan. 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, where she received her B.A. in political science in 1985. She moved to the United Kingdom, where she received an M.A. in art history from the University of Sussex. She serves as the chairperson of the Jinnah Institute, a research organisation.

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. After leaving the Herald in 1998, she co-authored the book The Kashmiri Shawl: From Jamawar to Paisley. She worked as a professional journalist for 20 years and served as a member of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors from 1988 to 1998. Rehman hosted a television current affairs show in 1999. She has also worked for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society as chairperson.

She was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time as a candidate for PPP on reserved seat for women in the 2002 Pakistani general election 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.

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

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. 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.