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==Personal life==
==Personal life==


She is daughter of a DOB, Annaya and Dina.<ref name="MoFA"/> She is the co-owner
She is daughter of a DOB, Annaya and Dina.<ref name="MoFA"/> She is the co-owner of a restaurant named the "Polo Lounge", on the Lahore Polo Ground.
of a restaurant named the "Polo Lounge", on the Lahore Polo Ground.


==Controversy==
==Controversy==

Revision as of 07:53, 16 January 2013

Hina Rabbani Khar
MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
19 July 2011
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterRaja Pervez Ashraf
Yousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded byShah Mehmood Qureshi
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
In office
11 February 2011 – 20 July 2011
Preceded byMalik Amad Khan
Succeeded byMalik Amad Khan
Minister of State for Finance and Economics Affairs
In office
25 March 2008 – 11 February 2011
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Asif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded byAli Nazary
Succeeded byDost Muhammad Mazari
In office
21 November 2002 – 15 November 2007
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Prime MinisterShaukat Aziz
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Assumed office
16 November 2002
Preceded byPir Bux Khaskheli
ConstituencyMuzaffargarh II - NA 177
Personal details
Born (1977-11-19) 19 November 1977 (age 46)
Multan, Punjab Province
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party
SpouseFeroze Gulzar
Alma materLahore University of Management Sciences
University of Massachusetts Amherst
WebsiteOfficial website

Hina Rabbani Khar (Urdu: حنا ربانی کھر; born 19 November 1977[1]) is a Pakistani stateswoman and economist who is the current and 26th Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Hailing from a powerful feudal family, she began her political career in 2002 in the government of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and subsequently served in the Finance ministry and Foreign ministry as minister of state. After successfully contesting the 2008 general election, she again briefly served in the Finance ministry and directed policies concerning the national economy in the absence of the finance minister in 2010.

She was appointed the first female Foreign minister in July 2011 after the dramatic surprise resignation of Mehmood Qureshi. Since 2008, she has been a senior and high-ranking member of the Central Executive Committee, and is widely regarded as one of the highest ranking women in Pakistani politics.

Statesmanship

Main articles: Pakistani general elections, 2002 and Shaukat Aziz

Hina Rabbani Khar came to national prominence in the national political arena through Prime minister Shaukat Aziz in 2004, who publicly appointed her to the Finance ministry. In previous 2002 general elections, she successfully contested and secured the parliamentary constituency of her father, after most members of the family were disqualified.[2] With the financial support of her father, she campaigned on a newly founded PML (Q Group) platform against the Pakistan Muslim League.[2] After the elections, Khar was elected as a member of Parliament, representing the NA-177, Muzaffargarh-II constituency in Punjab, a position her father had held previously. A new law requiring all candidates to hold a university degree had meant he could not run that year.[3][4][5] The Guardian wrote, "In deference to local sensibilities about the place of women, her landlord father Noor addressed rallies and glad-handed voters; Hina stayed largely at home, with not even her photo appearing on the posters."[6] In 2005, she was elevated to the position of deputy minister of economic affairs and served under Shaukat Aziz. As deputy minister, she dealt extensively with the donor community during the 2005 earthquake that hit Northern Pakistan.[2]

In 2007, she made an unsuccessful attempt to renew her alliance with PML-Q, but the party denied her a ticket platform to campaign for re-election in 2008. She was later invited by the senior members of the Pakistan Peoples Party and successfully campaigned for her constituency for a second time.[3][7] The PPP secured a plurality of the votes and formed a left-wing alliance with the Awami National Party, MQM and PML-Q. They nominated and elected Yousaf Raza Gillani as Prime Minister.

Minister of State for Economics

Main articles: Cabinet of Pakistan and Pakistani parliamentary election, 2008

Khar came to public prominence during the Shaukat Aziz government and was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2004, a post she retained until 2007.[8] She also notably served with Shaukat Aziz as Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, and closely assisted Aziz in his financial policies.[2] In 2008, after successfully defending her constituency, she was appointed as Minister of State for Finance and Economics Affairs in the cabinet of Gillani in 2008.[9] She worked on the financial budget and economic policies in the absence of the then Finance minister and on 13 June 2009 she successfully presented the 2010 federal budget in the Parliament and has the distinction of being the first stateswoman to present the Pakistani budget in the National Assembly.[2][10]

Foreign Minister

Hina Rabbani Khar - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012

Khar was appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs—the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—on 11 February 2011, as part of Gillani's cabinet reshuffle.[11] After Shah Mehmood Qureshi's resignation as Foreign Minister, she became acting Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 February 2011.[12] She was approved as Foreign Minister on 18 July[13] and was sworn-in on 19 July, becoming the youngest and first female Minister of Foreign Affairs.[14] President Asif Ali Zardari, who succeeded Musharraf in 2008, said the appointment was "a demonstration of the government's commitment to bring women into the mainstream of national life".[15] She was appointed foreign minister during a difficult time in Pakistan: when the country's armed forces were confronting extreme elements in Western Pakistan and anti-American emotions ran high over the Raymond Davis incident.

Shortly after her appointment, she visited India and held peace talks with her Indian counterpart, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna. Relations between the two countries had been suspended following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, resuming in February 2011.[16] The Indian media reported extensively on her fashion and appearance—the Birkin bag, the sunglasses, the Jimmy Choo stilettos and the pearl necklaces, for example.[17][18][19] She held talks with leaders of the Kashmir independence movement before meeting Indian government representatives, a decision which was criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's main opposition party,[20][21] who said it was a breach of protocol and demanded an inquiry into the matter.[22] In August 2011 she visited China and held talks with Yang Jiechi, the Chinese foreign minister.[23] Hindustan Times reported that, in contrast to her reception in India, she was largely ignored by Chinese media.[24]

The NATO strike which killed 24 Pakistani troops was one of most notable incidents during her tenure and Foreign Minister Khar vigorously stated that "the government of Pakistan, and defense committees had approved a measure—similar to a parliamentary resolution put forward after bin Laden's May 2011 death—that formally bars NATO and ISAF forces from using Pakistan's supply routes.[25] On 6 June 2012, Pakistan renewed its call for a U.S. apology over the killing of 24 soldiers in U.S. warplane attacks at the Salala checkpost, as Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar argued that "higher principles should take precedence over politically popular considerations". Khar challenged the U.S. to "live up to its democratic ideals by respecting the will of Pakistan’s elected legislature", Foreign Policy magazine said in a Doha-datelined report on its interview with the top Pakistani diplomat.[26] On 15 December 2011, when the United States cut off the financial aid to Pakistan, Khar warned her counterpart Hillary Clinton: "the United States will be responsible for defeat in war on terror as Pakistan could not fight the war alone".[27]

On 21 January 2012, Khar secretly left for Moscow with an agenda of strengthening bilateral relations.[28] Khar and her foreign service officers made tremendous efforts to reach out to countries such as Russia in the wake of strained ties with the United States.[28] On this trip she extended an invitation to the Russian leadership to visit Pakistan and to reaffirm cooperation and bilateral commitment and support to promote stability and peace in Afghanistan for "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" efforts for national reconciliation in the country.[29] On 12 August 2012, while speaking at the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, Khar maintained that "growing confrontation over Iran’s nuclear program was threatening further instability in the broader region, and a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible on the basis of reciprocal confidence-building measures and security assurances against external threat."[30]

During her short visit to Bangladesh on 9 November 2012, Khar was approached by the Foreign minister of Bangladesh Dipu Moni to settle pending post-independence issues, emphasizing especially an unconditional apology from Pakistan for the alleged genocide it had carried out during the Liberation War of 1971.[31] Khar reiterated that Pakistan had regretted its actions in 1971 on different occasions since 1974 and called for the two countries to move ahead together. She urged Moni and Sheikh Hasina to bury the past.[31]

Personal life

She is daughter of a DOB, Annaya and Dina.[9] She is the co-owner of a restaurant named the "Polo Lounge", on the Lahore Polo Ground.

Controversy

Electricity Bill corruption scandal

Hina Rabbani Khar came under severe criticism in Pakistan when several news sources alleged that there were massive irregularities in Electricity bill payments by Galaxy Textile Mills, a company owned by Khar's husband Firoze Gulzar and her father-in-law. The allegations suggest that there is an outstanding bill of ₨. 70 million against the company, which they have managed to settle in terms of installments of ₨. 3000 rupees per month, presumably through political pressure and misuse of authority for personal gains. The media reports also alleged that she and her husband are among many other beneficiaries of NRO—an ordinance drafted to save corruption money and provide immunity to the corrupt. The electricity bill matter is seen as a major political scandal in a country marred by electricity shortages, with citizens having to face daily outages of up to 12 hours in urban areas and 20 hours in rural areas during maximum national shortfall.[32][33]

Alleged Romantic Involvement with PPP Chairman

Bangladeshi and Indian tabloid newspapers have alleged that Khar has been romantically involved with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of President Asif Ali Zardari. On 28 September 2012 Khar denied these allegations in a press statement.[34][35]

References

  1. ^ "Hina Rabbari Khar". Mofa.gov.pk. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e M Ilyas Khan (21 July 2011). "Will Pakistan's first woman foreign minister make a difference?". BBC News. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b "District Profile: Southern Punjab- Muzaffargarh". The Dawn. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Pakistani general election, 2002: constituency-wise detailed results" (PDF). Election Commission of Pakistan. p. 48. Retrieved 15 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Text "397 KB" ignored (help)
  5. ^ Khan, Omer Farooq (25 July 2011). "Hina Rabbani Khar a misfit, say most Pakistanis". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  6. ^ Walsh, Declan (29 July 2011). "Pakistan foreign minister bags attention on India trip". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  7. ^ "NA-177 (Muzaffargarh-II)". Election Commission of Pakistan. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  8. ^ "CV" (PDF). Competitiveness Support Fund. Retrieved 15 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Text "527 KB" ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b "Foreign Minister". Minister of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  10. ^ Asghar, Raja (14 June 2009). "Hina Khar first woman to present Pakistan budget". The Dawn. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  11. ^ Hassan, Ahmad (12 February 2011). "Some heavyweights left out of 22-member new cabinet". The Dawn. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  12. ^ Indo-Asian News Service, ed. (24 June 2011). "Hina Rabbani Khar to be Pakistan foreign minister". MSN News. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  13. ^ Buncombe, Andrew (19 July 2011). "Pakistan selects female envoy for India talks". The Independent. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Hina Rabbani Khar sworn in as foreign minister". The Dawn. Agence France-Presse. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  15. ^ Ghosh, Labonita (26 July 2011). "Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's foreign minister: Just a Greenhorn or Rising star?". The Economic Times. p. 2. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  16. ^ "India and Pakistan relations 'on right track". BBC News. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  17. ^ Rodriguez, Alex (5 August 2011). "Pakistan's top envoy gets points for style, but at home questions loom". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  18. ^ "Hina Rabbani Khar: An instant hit with Indian media and masses alike". The Economic Times. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  19. ^ "High on fashion: Birkin, pearls a few of Pakistan foreign minister's favourite things". The Times of India. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  20. ^ "Pak foreign minister starts India visit by meeting Kashmiri separatists". The Times of India. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  21. ^ "BJP protests Khar-Hurriyat meet, slow pace of 26/11 trial". Hindustan Times. Press Trust of India. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  22. ^ "BJP demands inquiry into Khar-Kashmiri separatists meeting". Daily News and Analysis. Press Trust of India. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  23. ^ "Pakistan, China ties are unique: Hina Rabbani Khar". The Times of India. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  24. ^ Dasgupta, Saibal (24 August 2011). "Hina Rabbani Khar's charm fails to excite the Chinese". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  25. ^ Starr, Barbara (2 December 2011). "U.S. talked with Pakistan before fatal airstrike, yet questions remain". CNN International. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  26. ^ "Khar renews call for apology over Salala attack". The News International. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  27. ^ Staff Reporter (15 December 2011). "US will be responsible for defeat in war on terror: Hina Khar". The Nation. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  28. ^ a b Kamran, Yousaf (21 January 2012). "Khar off to Russia with love". The Express Tribune. Tribune Express. p. 1. Retrieved 9 September 2012. In a development that signifies a paradigm shift in the country's decades-old foreign policy, Pakistan is set to formally invite the Russian president to undertake a visit at a time when its relationship with the United States is faltering {{cite news}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
  29. ^ APP (9 February 2012). "Working together: Pakistan, Russia vow to support Afghan peace initiative". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  30. ^ APP (29 August 2012). "NAM summit: Khar fears Iran conflict may fuel instability". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  31. ^ a b "P.m. to visit Pakistan to attend D-8 summit". The Daily Star. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  32. ^ "Hina Rabbani Khar Husband Exposed Defaulter in Wapda". YouTube. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  33. ^ "Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Galaxy Mills scandel". Daily Times. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  34. ^ Nelson, Dean (27 September 2012). "Pakistan foreign minsiter denies Bilawal Bhutto affair". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  35. ^ Shinwari, Sadaf (25 September 2012). "Pakistan FM Hina Rabbani's love affairs exposed". Khaama Press. Retrieved 30 September 2012.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hina Rabbani.
Political offices
Preceded by
Ali Nazary
 Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs
2008–2011 		Succeeded by
Dost Muhammad Mazari
Preceded by Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan NA-177 Muzaffargarh-II
2002–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2011-present 		Incumbent

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