The government on Wednesday appointed Sherry Rehman, former Information Minister, as new ambassador to the US following weeks of controversy over 'Memogate' leading to the resignation of Husain Haqqani.
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani appointed Sherry Rahman, who had resigned some two years ago as Information Minister after she developed differences with the top party leadership over a government clampdown on protests by lawyers, opposition groups and media, as new Ambassador to the US.
Her appointment surprised many observers who expected the Foreign Office to have a visible say in Haqqani's successor. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister House, Sherry Rehman called on the Prime Minister ahead of her appointment as ambassador and discussed matters relating to her diplomatic assignments.
Talking to media after being named as Ambassador, she vowed to work for strengthening relationship between US-Pakistan along with protecting interests of the country as Pakistan Ambassador to the US. Rahman said that Pakistan's sacrifices in war on terrorism are countless.
Sherry Rehman is a journalist-turned-politician and member of the Security Committee of the Parliament. She is also a founding President of the Jinnah Institute, an independent public policy institute committed to regional peace and inclusive democracy in Pakistan.
She also co-chaired several track-two strategic dialogues with India, and is convenor of a similar institutionalised dialogue process between Pakistan and Afghanistan later this year. Sherry Rahman has been delivering lectures on strategic security challenges facing Pakistan, and is a key member of the Legislative Councils that govern both Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Sherry Rahman served as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan from March 2008 to March 2009 and her background as a senior professional journalist for twenty years has given her wide media outreach as an incumbent second-term law-maker with a frontline public position against religious extremism. She was awarded as "Democracy's Hero" by the International Republic an Institute, US, and the Jeanne Kirkpatric Award for Women in 2011. The March 2011 issue of Newsweek Pakistan ranked her on its cover as "Pakistan's Most Important Woman". Foreign Policy magazine has identified Rahman as one of 2011's Top Global Thinkers".
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