Sherry Rehman - Political Career

Political Career

Rehman is a member of the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

She served as an Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from 2002 to 2007, where she acted as Central Information Secretary. During this time, she was also President of Policy Planning for the PPPP and served on the party's Foreign Relations Committee.

In March 2008, Rehman was re-appointed by declaration as MNA for Sindh province to the reserved MNA seat for women. Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani appointed her Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and on 31 March 2008 she was sworn in by President Pervez Musharraf.

During her tenure in parliament, Rehman authored all five PPP bills tabled in the National Assembly: the Women Empowerment Bill, Anti-Honor Killings Bill, Domestic Violence Prevention Bill, Affirmative Action Bill and Hudood Repeal Bill. She also moved two bills concerning the media: the Freedom of Information Bill and the Press Act, which prevents working journalists from being arrested under the 1999 Press Ordinance.

In civil society, Rehman is the Chair of the Lady Dufferin Foundation Trust, reportedly the largest non-profit provider of women and children's subsidised healthcare in the province of Sindh.

In January 2009, a report of the International Republican Institute referred to her as "Democracy's Hero" as a result of her close association with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's campaign for democratic rule in Pakistan. The reference, picked up by several Pakistani media outlets, received mixed coverage. In the same month, Rehman was named among the "100 Most Influential Asians" by UAE magazine Ahlan.

Rehman resigned her post as Information Minister on 14 March 2009, due to differences of opinion with the President Asif Ali Zardari on imposing restrictions on the media.