Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Islamic Republic of Pakistan/
Islami Jamhuriya-e-Pakistan
(Limited female suffrage 1935, suffrage for literate women 1947, universal suffrage
1956) Part of British India till it became independent 1948 and a
Republic 1956
Also see Pakistan Heads of State
1952-56 Queen Elizabeth the Second,
Queen of the United Kingdom and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the
Commonwealth (06.03-23.03)
Queen of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland since 1952 (b. 1926-)
1962-66 Minister of Education Begum
Mahmooda Salim Khan
In 1962 she was Minister of Education in West Punjab.
Daughter of the late Punjab Premier, Nawab Sirdar
Sir Sikander Hyat-Khan, 1936-1942. the leader of the Unionist Party in
pre-partition India.
1969-71 Minister for Law and
Parliamentary Affairs A.R. Cornelius
1975-76 Minister of State of
Science and Technology
1976-79 Minister of State of Tourism Shahzada Saaedur Rashid Abbasi
1980-87 Government Advisor and
Chairperson of Tourist Development Corporation Viqarun Nisa Noon
1980-87 Minister of Population Dr.
Attiya Inayatullah
1999-2000 Member of the National Security Council (Supreme Civilian Governing
Body)
2000- Minister of Women Development,
Social Welfare and Special Education
After a number of years as representative to UNESCO she was appointed as one of
the 4 civilians to the Security Council which ruled the country together with
the military after a military coup.
1981-82 Minister of State of
Social Welfare Begum Afifa Mamdot
1988-90 Prime Minister (11.12-6.8)
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
1988-90 Minister of Defence, Atomic-Energy, Finance, Economy, Information
and Establishment
1993-96 Prime Minister (19.10-5.11)
1993-96 Minister of Finance and Economy
Co-Chairperson 1984-94 and Leader of Pakistan People's Party
1994-2007, in house arrest 1977-84 and in exile 1984-86. She also held the
Portfolios of Defence, Atomic Energy, Finance, Economy, Information and
Establishment. Both in 1990 and 1996 she was removed from office by the
President on charges of corruption and later convinced. Returned to Pakistan in
2007 after 10 years in exile in United Kingdom and Dubai to contest elections in January
2008, but was killed by a suicide bomb soon after. She was daughter of Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto, the former President and Prime Minister, who was
executed after the coup d’etat in 1979. Her three children were born
in 1988, 1989 and 1993. She lived (1953-2007).
1989-90 Senior Minister without Portfolio
Begum Nusrat Bhutto (Second in Cabinet)
Between 1979-94 Leader of PPP, 1989 She acted as Premier as her daughter,
Benazir Bhutto gave birth to her second child. (Born 1929 in Afganistan)
1989-90 Deputy Minister of
Education Senmaz [Shahnaz] Wazar Ali
1993-96 Minister of State, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for the
Social Sector.
1989-90 Deputy Minister of Women's
Affairs Kejana Serwar
1989-90 Deputy Minister of
Education and Sports Mahmuda Shali
1989-90 Deputy Minister of
Population and Welfare Begum Khatwani
1990 Minister of Information Seyda
Abida Hussain
1991-92 Minister to the Prime Minister, Advisor on Population with Rank of
Minister
1996-97 Minister of Education, Science and Technology (In transitional
government)
1997-99 Minister of Population Welfare, Women’s Development, Social Welfare, Special
Education, Environment and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development
Between 1992-93 Ambassador to USA.
1997-99 Minister of State for
Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Senator
2008- Minister of Science and Technology
Vice-President of the Muslim Leauge, Senator and later MP for the party. The day
after she was sworn in she swabbed portfolio with another Cabinet Member as part
of the coalition agreement.
1999-2000 Minister of Social Welfare and Women’s Affairs Zubeida
Jalal Kahn
2000-02 Minister of Education, Science and Technology
2002-04 Minister of Education
2004-07
Also known as
Zobaida Jalal
2000-02 Minister of Law, Justice,
Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Shahida Jamil
2004 Minister of Environment,
2007-08 Minister for
Women Development, Social Welfare and
Special Education
Prior her appointment to the federal government she was Minister of Law, Human
Rights , Social Welfare, Women Development, Culture, Sports and Tourism in the
Province of Sindh
2002-08
Advisor to the Prime Minister on
Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education with the status of
Minister of State Nilofer Bakhtiar
There was no minister in this portfolio, but since she was neither a MP nor a
Senator, she could not be appointed a full minister.
2004-07 Minister of State of Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar
2004-08 Minister of State of Tourism Sumaira Malik
She is granddaughter of Nawab Amir Muhammad Khan and niece of former president
Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari.
2004-07 Minister of State of Information and
Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli
She is a senator
2004-07 Minister of State of Health Begum Shahnaz Shaikh
2004-07 Minister of State of Education Ghulam Bibi Bharwana
2005-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Firdous Ashaq Awan
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Statistics Rozina Tufail
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Water and Power Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary Population Welfare Dr. Donya Aziz
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Health Rahila Yahya...
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Environment Bushra Anwar Supra
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Information Technonlogy and Telecommunication Rifat Javed Kahlon
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Social Welfare and Special Education Riffat Amjad
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs Begum Khurshid Afgan
2004-07 Parliamentary Secretary of Women's Development Onaza Ehsan
2008- Minister of Information and
Broadcasting Sherry Rehman
A leading member and Spokesperson for Pakistani People's Party.
Last update 02.04.08