ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday conferred the status of Federal Minister on Excellency Ms. Sherry Rehman, Ambassador of Pakistan to the US.

The Cabinet Division has issued the notification in this regard.

The former information minister was appointed Pakistan's ambassador to the United States on 23rd November last year.

She was member of the National Assembly before appointed as an ambassador and was serving as chairperson Pakistan Red Crescent Society.

Ms Rehman has also remained a member of the National Security Committee of Pakistan's Parliament and is the founding president of the Jinnah Institute in Islamabad, an independent public policy institute committed to regional peace and inclusive democracy in Pakistan.

She has served as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting from March 2008 to March 2009.

As the Minister Information she prepared and presented Pakistan's first in-camera National Security briefing to a joint session of the Parliament in 2008. She was also associated with journalism for twenty years.

In March 2011 issue of the Newsweek Pakistan she was dubbed as “Pakistan's Most Important Woman”.

The Foreign Policy magazine has recognised Rehman as one of 2011's “Top Global Thinkers.”