Tehmina Durrani is a Pakistan-based artist, author, and activist on the rights of children and women. Her 1st book, entitled ‘My Feudal Lord, ‘ surprised the narrow-minded Pakistani community because she exposed her husband Mustafa Khar, a famous political figure but an abusive and cruel husband.
Her 3-year service term, along with great philanthropist Abdul Sattar, was life-changing and transformational. It led her to author his autobiography entitled ‘A Mirror to Blind’ in 1996. Edhi’s philanthropic activities motivated her to involve herself in social work and carry on Edhi’s mission; she founded ‘Tehmina Durrani Foundation.’
She was the spouse of Shehbaz Shareef in 2003. This article has all the information about Durrani, including Tehmina Durrani Biography.
Title | Description |
---|---|
Personal | |
Name: | Tehmina Durrani |
In Urdu: | تہمینہ درانی |
Full Name: | Tehmina Durrani Sharif |
Famous As: | Social Activist & Author |
Nationality: | Pakistani |
Residence: | Lahore, Pakistan |
Religion: | Islam |
Profession: | Author, Rights Activist |
NGO: | Tehmina Durrani Foundation TDF |
Born | |
Date: | 18 February 1953 |
Zodiac Sign: | Aquarius |
Place: | Lahore, Punjab Pakistan |
Family | |
Ethnicity: | Afghani |
Spouse: | Shehbaz Sharif (2003) |
Divorced : | Anees Khan, Mustafa Khar |
Children: | 5 |
Parents: | Shakur Ullah Durrani, Samina Durrani |
Siblings : | Adila Durrani, Zarmina Durrani, Asim Durrani, Rubina Begum, Minoo Durrani |
Relatives: | Sharif Family |
First Book: | My Feudal Lord |
Table of Contents
Tehmina Durrani Biography
Tehmina got hitched with a political figure Mustafa Khar; she moved with him in political circles. She learned to maintain her public appearance as a cultivated, glamorous wife and a mother of 4-children. However, in a book, she showed the bitter reality of the most liked Pakistani couple.
Khar became rigorously jealous and possessive and forced his wife to cut downlink with the outside world. She suffered this abusive marriage alone for fourteen years. When she decided to break the norms of a conservative society, she paid a high price for this rebellion.
After taking divorce, she lost her children’s custody as well as financial support from her ex-husband. She felt the need to show her personal life, but she faced difficulties when publishers denied publishing her book. But she didn’t give up and published her book on her own.
This book broke the sale records and shook conservative Pakistani society. As an author, her expression is simple and straight, that touches readers’ hearts. She boldly presents realities and facts. She is among few Pakistani writers with record-breaking books in the international market.
Tehmina Date of Birth
She opened her eyes on 18th Feb 1953 in Karachi, Pakistan.
Tehmina Durrani Family
Her father, Shahkur-Ullah-Durrani, was Governor of Pakistan State Bank & Managing-Director of PIA (Pakistan International Airlines). Her mother, Samina Durrani, is the daughter of PM of Patiala Nawab Sir Liaquat Hayyat Khan. China tied the knot at seventeen with Anees Khan and had one daughter, but the couple separated in 1976.
Later, she married ex-CM and Punjab Governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar. Khar had married 5-times. She had 4-children from Khar. After suffering violence by Khar for 14-years, she filed for divorce. She married for the 3rd time in 2003 with Punjab’s CM Mian Shehbaz Shareef in a private marriage ceremony held in Dubai, UAE.
Disowned by Family
She wrote her autobiography entitled ‘My Feudal Lord’ in 1991 and shown the cruel face of her husband, Khar. In her book, she stated that landlords’ authority and power like Mustafa are acquired from the deformed version of religion Islam, backed up by society and women’s silence.
After her book’s publication, her maternal and paternal family disowned her and her 5-children for almost thirteen years.
Career
Worked with Great Philanthropist Edhi
As her husband Khar was a political figure, she got a chance to see political activities closely and came to know that she can’t achieve her goals through politics. So, she started searching for a person who would understand a common man’s problems and issues, realize their pain and needs, and find an effective solution to all problems. In this search, she succeeded in finding a great humanitarian and social activist Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Authored Autobiography of Edhi
She started working with the Edhi family and served at Edhi homes in Khardar, Sorab Goth, and Mithadar for 3-years. She became Edhi’s mentee and took his permission to write his autobiography. Seeing the philanthropic activities of Edhi, she laid the foundation for her work and her thirst for truth. The Edhi Foundation published an official-narrated autobiography of Edhi ‘A Mirror to Blind’ in 1994.
Publication of Autobiography
The company Vanguard Books, owned by renowned Pakistani journalists Jugnu Mohsin and Najam Sethi, published ‘My Feudal Lord’ in June 1991. She disproved that she has signed any contract entrusting entire foreign-rights with Jugnu instead of with estate and herself. In 1992 this clash was resolved.
Durrani Accused Najam
On 19th May 1999, she accused Najam of thieving her books’ profits and stated that she had faced an even most significant hypocrisy case than her experience with the feudal set-up.
IB (Intelligence Bureau) of Pakistan detained Najam for his statements about the government’s corruption to BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) news team. Tehmina sued him for mental torment, and Sethi counterclaimed for his defamation.
Stood for Acid Victim
Since 2005 she is striving for women’s social rehabilitation. She supported Fakhra Younas, the ex-wife of Bilal Khar, son of Mustafa, from his 3rd wife. Fakhra was the victim of an acid attack, and she alleged her husband for that attack. Tehmina made arrangements to move Fakhra abroad, and this act drew the media’s attention.
Initially, Fakhra wasn’t allowed to leave Pakistan, but public pressure helped her to move abroad. Tehmina engaged the Italian government and an Italian cosmetics company, Sant’ Angelica, to treat Fakhra. An Italian NGO, ‘Smile Again’ run by Clarice Felli, visited Pakistan to care for acid-victims.
Fakhra committed suicide on 17th Mar 2012 in Italy and was embedded in Karachi. Her body was handed over to Durrani, draped in Pakistani and Italian flag. Her funeral prayers were held in Kharadar at Edhi center. Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid directed a documentary movie entitled ‘Saving Face’ made on the life of Fakhra, and won ‘Academy Award for the Best Documentary.’
TDF (Tehmina Durrani Foundation)
She founded TDF (Tehmina Durrani Foundation) in 2015 and officially started its functions in Jan 2017. She stated the purpose behind this foundation as a reason to carry on Edhi’s mission. Serving humanity irrespective of creed and caste was the mission of Edhi, so is TDF.
The Main Goals of TDF are:
1. To carry out rehabilitation and protection of war children.
2. TDF is empowering women via economic independence.
3. TDF is transferring Edhi’s ideology of service, tolerance, and humanitarianism to others.
4. TDF is striving to make Pakistan a Social-Welfare territory.
Tehmina Durrani Writings
1. My Feudal Lord
She wrote the story of her life in her book entitled ‘My Feudal Lord’ that broke the sale records. She belongs to an upper-class family; when she was seventeen, her parents selected Anees Khan for her, and she got married. She was blessed with a daughter, but this marriage ended in divorce.
Later, she tied the knot with a renowned political figure Mustafa Khar, but during her honeymoon, conflicts were raised between them. The grotesque and intense abuse is told clearly in this book with shocking details. She courageously exposed her husband in a conservative Muslim society.
She faced very severe consequences for this courage as her parents and society disowned her. Her ex-husband discontinued all financial assistance and custody of children. This behavior by family, ex-husband, and society led her to search for women’s position and rights in Islam to raise her voice for women’s rights.
As all publishers weren’t willing to publish this controversial book, she initially printed this book herself, and later it broke the sale records. This book was translated into forty languages and won several awards.
2. A Mirror to Blind
Her 2nd book ‘A Mirror to Blind’ is Edhi’s biography. She stayed in Edhi’s house for 3-years and used to accompany Edhi on all his visits. National Bureau of Publications published this book in 1996 with Edhi Foundation.
3. Blasphemy
Her 3rd book ‘Blasphemy’ was also successful and controversial. She has described the secret lives of pirs or spiritual leaders and Muslim clergy. She stated stories written are factual with alteration of events and names only to protect women’s identity who are subject of the story.
Tehmina has also discussed the approach to practice and tradition of Nikah Halala. She has mentioned many cases that resulted in the torture and humiliation of Muslim females.
4- Happy Things in Sorrow Times
Her 4th book, ‘Happy Things in Sorrow Times,’ is a novel written on an Afghani girl Rabia’s childhood & youth. A Pakistan-based publishing firm, ‘Ferozsons,’ published this novel. This novel is based on the exploration o dynamics of Afghanistan’s politics in pre/post Nine/Eleven attacks.
The novel’s setting is Pakistan and Afghanistan. The novel’s protagonist is, however, an Afghani girl. It is 1st book where she has used her artwork too.
As a Painter
She is also a painter and considers art a 2nd way to convey and express her feelings besides writing. In 1992 her 1st exhibition, Catharsis, was organized. One painting became a cover page of her 3rd book. In 2016 her 2nd exhibition, ‘A Love-Affair’, was arranged.
Social Media Handles
Her social media account include
https://twitter.com/tehminadurrani
https://www.facebook.com/TehminaDurraniofficial/