Hina Rabbani Khar Pakistani female politician Date of Birth: 19.11.1977 Country: Pakistan

1. Hina Rabbani Khar: Pakistan's Trailblazing Politician
2. Early Life and Education
3. Political Career
4. Historic Appointments

Hina Rabbani Khar: Pakistan's Trailblazing Politician

Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician who has shattered glass ceilings and made history on multiple occasions. She became the first woman to serve as Pakistan's Foreign Minister in 2011 and was also the youngest person to hold this position.

Early Life and Education

Born on November 19, 1977, to influential politician and landowning family, Hina Rabbani Khar is a member of the Seraiki ethnic group. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences. She later obtained a Master's degree, also with honors, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the United States.

Political Career

Hina Rabbani Khar's political journey began in 2002 when she was elected to the National Assembly from Muzaffargarh district in Punjab, a seat previously held by her father. During this time, she was part of the Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), the party of then-President Pervez Musharraf. In 2008, she switched her allegiance to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which opposed Musharraf's regime.

From 2003 to 2005, Khar served as Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Affairs. From 2005 to 2007, she held the position of Minister of State for Economic Affairs. In 2008, she was re-elected to the National Assembly as a member of the PPP.

Historic Appointments

From 2008 to 2011, Khar served as Minister of State for Financial and Economic Affairs. On June 13, 2009, she became the first woman to present Pakistan's budget in the National Assembly. From February 12 to July 18, 2011, she served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

On July 19, 2011, Hina Rabbani Khar was appointed as Pakistan's Foreign Minister. As Foreign Minister, she represented Pakistan at summits such as the GCC and OIC. She visited India, where she held talks with her Indian counterpart S. M. Krishna and met with Kashmiri separatist leaders. Khar also paid an official visit to China, where she held discussions with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

In response to the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a NATO airstrike in November 2011, Khar announced the Pakistani government's decision to close its supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan.