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Tehmina Durrani Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 16, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth18 February 1953

Age69 Years

BirthplaceKarachi, Pakistan

ProfessionAuthor, Artist, and Activist

NationalityPakistani

Marital statusMarried

SpouseShehbaz Sharif

FamilyFive children (sons Ali and Hamza; daughters Nisha, Nasiba and Tania)

Tehmina Durrani Biography

Tehmina Durrani is a Pakistani author, artist and social activist known for her outspoken memoir My Feudal Lord and her work in humanitarian and women’s‑wı

Early life and background

Tehmina Durrani was born on 18 February 1953 in Karachi, Pakistan. She grew up in a family with political and public-service connections; her paternal grandfather was Major Muhammad Zaman Durrani and her maternal grandfather was Nawab Sir Liaqat Hayat Khan. Educated in Karachi during her childhood, she later established her home in Islamabad.

Career

Durrani made her literary debut in 1991 with the memoir that brought her to national and international attention: My Feudal Lord. The book, based on her marriage to a prominent politician, caused a powerful reaction in Pakistan and was subsequently translated into many languages. She went on to publish additional books, including A Mirror to the Blind (1996), Blasphemy (1998) and Happy Things in Sorrow Times (2013).

Her interests are not limited to writing. Durrani is also a painter and has exhibited her work in solo shows such as Catharsis (1992) and A Love Affair (2016). One of her paintings later appeared as the cover for her novel Blasphemy.

Activism and social work

A longtime activist, Durrani’s humanitarian commitments include work with the late Abdul Sattar Edhi, whom she has described as formative for her approach to social service. She wrote Edhi’s biography, A Mirror to the Blind, and later founded the Tehmina Durrani Foundation in 2015; the foundation became effective in 2017 and identifies its mission with the Edhi tradition of serving people without distinction, promoting women’s economic empowerment, and protecting and rehabilitating children affected by conflict.

Durrani has taken visible public stands on social and political issues. In 1993 she joined a hunger strike against government corruption; she ended the fast after seven days following intervention by political leadership. In 2001 she helped secure medical treatment abroad for Fakhra Younus, a woman believed to have been the victim of an acid attack, and remained involved in advocacy connected to that case. After the 2014 Army Public School attack in Peshawar, she announced plans to support bereaved families through a housing project for victims’ parents.

Public profile

Durrani has received international recognition and several honours over the years. Awards listed in her record include the Most Influential Asians Award (2008), an Honorary Swati award (2009), inclusion in Pakistan Power 100 in the UK (2012), the Order of Arts and Letters (2014) and other civic and cultural awards. Her public life has also been the subject of controversy; her memoir provoked strong reactions and legal disputes have followed aspects of its publication and financial proceeds.

Her personal life has frequently intersected with her public profile. She has been married three times: first to Anees Khan (1970–1976), then to politician Ghulam Mustafa Khar, and since 2003 to politician Shehbaz Sharif. She is the mother of five children: sons Ali and Hamza and daughters Nisha, Nasiba and Tania. Durrani has at times spoken about health matters affecting family members, and she has been publicly visible when her husband faced legal and medical issues.

Latest updates

In addition to ongoing charitable work through her foundation, Durrani has continued to exhibit paintings and to participate in public debates on social issues. Reports from the late 2010s note occasional hospital admissions for heart‑related pain. She remains a frequent presence in Pakistani media, where she is noted for both her artistic pursuits and her activism.

Tehmina Durrani’s career spans literature, visual art and social service. Her writing and public interventions have made her a prominent and sometimes polarizing figure in Pakistan’s cultural and political life.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Tehmina Durrani, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Happy Things in Sorrow Times

A book published in 2013.

2013
A Mirror to the Blind

Autobiography of Abdul Sattar Edhi, published in 1996.

1996
Blasphemy

A novel published in 1998; its cover featured one of Durrani's paintings.

1998
My Feudal Lord

Memoir published in 1991 that brought her national and international attention.

1991
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Career Highlights

  1. Published My Feudal Lord (1991), a widely translated memoir
  2. Wrote the biography of Abdul Sattar Edhi, A Mirror to the Blind (1996)
  3. Exhibited paintings in solo shows including Catharsis (1992) and A Love Affair (2016)
  4. Founded the Tehmina Durrani Foundation (established 2015, effective 2017)
  5. Received awards including the Most Influential Asians Award (2008) and the Order of Arts and Letters (2014)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Tehmina Durrani born?

Tehmina Durrani was born on 18 February 1953.

What is Tehmina Durrani known for?

Tehmina Durrani is known for author, Artist, and Activist.

What is Tehmina Durrani’s marital status?

Tehmina Durrani's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Tehmina Durrani married to?

Tehmina Durrani is publicly listed as married to Shehbaz Sharif.