Abida Hussain

Syeda Abida Hussain (Urdu: سيدہ عابدہ حسین‎) is a Pakistani conservative politician, diplomat and socialite who served as the Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, the first women to hold the post. She served as a member as a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet between 1996 and 1999.^[1]

Born into a privileged feudal family, he father Syed Abid Hussain served went on to serve as a member of a Indian Constituent Assembly during British Raj. Adhering to the Shia Qalandariyya sect, Hussain studied at Convent of Jesus and Mary and in Switzerland. She later studied the history of art at Florence, Italy and economics at Bahauddin Zakariya University.

Hussain married Syed Fakhar Imam who went on to serve as the Speaker of the National Assembly. She was the first woman to chair the District Council of Jhang and in was elected to the National Assembly from Jhang in 1988 as a member of the center-right Pakistan Muslim League.  She served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States from 1991 to 1993 and as minister for education in 1996, minister for food and agriculture in 1997, minister for population and minister for environment in 1999.^[2][3][4]

Hussain is a member of Pakistan Peoples Party since 2006.^[5] having rejoined after leaving in the 1970s. She was a Minister in Nawaz Sharif's Cabinet.

Her daughter Syeda Sughra Imam is also politician.

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