Tehmina Durrani

Tehmina Durrani is a Pakistani author, artist, and activist dedicated to women's and children's rights. She is widely recognized for her bestselling memoir, My Feudal Lord, which explores her personal experiences within a feudal system. Currently, she resides in Lahore with her husband, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif.

Early life and education

Born on 18 February 1953, Durrani was raised in Karachi within a family of significant social standing. Her father, Shahkur Ullah Durrani, served as the managing director of Pakistan International Airlines and as a former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. She comes from a mixed heritage, featuring a paternal Pashtun lineage and a maternal Punjabi background. Her paternal grandfather was Major Muhammad Zaman Durrani.

Her maternal ancestry is equally prominent in Pakistani history. Her mother, Samina Durrani, is the daughter of Nawab Sir Liaqat Hayat Khan, who served as the prime minister of the former princely state of Patiala. Sir Liaqat Hayat Khan's brother was Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, a statesman who held the position of Punjab Premier before 1947.

Career

Durrani began her literary career with the release of My Feudal Lord in June 1991. The book, which she initially printed herself because publishers feared the controversy, became an overnight sensation and a global bestseller. She used the text to allege abuse by her second husband, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, and to critique how feudal power utilizes distorted versions of Islam. Although Vanguard Books eventually published the work, a legal dispute regarding foreign rights occurred between Durrani and the company's owners, which was settled in 1992.

In 1993, she engaged in a seven-day hunger strike to protest government corruption. This protest is credited with helping the term "accountability" enter the public lexicon. Following this period of political exposure, she sought a different path by apprenticing under the humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi. She spent three years living with the Edhi family and working at various locations, including Edhi Homes in Mithadar, Sorab Goth, and Kharadar. During this time, she recorded his observations and motives for her 1994 book, A Mirror to the Blind.

Her activism has focused heavily on the rehabilitation of women who have suffered violence. In 2001, she assisted Fakhra Younus, a woman who had been attacked with acid. Durrani coordinated with the Italian government and the firm Sant' Angelica to secure medical treatment for Younus in Italy. Beyond individual cases, she established the Tehmina Durrani Foundation in 2015. The organization officially launched its activities in January 2017 to promote social welfare, women's economic independence, and the protection of children affected by war.

Personal life

Durrani married her first husband, Anees Khan, at the age of seventeen. The couple had one daughter before they divorced in 1976. She later married Ghulam Mustafa Khar, a former Governor and Chief Minister of Punjab, with whom she had four children. This marriage lasted fourteen years before she ended it through divorce following years of abuse.

The publication of her autobiography led to significant personal hardship. Both her paternal and maternal families disowned her and her five children for a period of thirteen years. In 2003, she married Shehbaz Sharif, the thrice-elected Chief Minister of Punjab, in a private ceremony held in Dubai. She currently lives in Lahore.

Awards and recognition

My Feudal Lord has been translated into 40 languages and has received various awards for its impact. While Durrani herself is an acclaimed author, the life of Fakhra Younus—whom she supported—was the subject of the documentary Saving Face. This film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.