President Asif Ali Zardari removed former federal minister Sherry Rehman from the post of PPP”s information secretary on Wednesday and appointed MNA from Karachi Fauzia Wahab to replace her, the Dawn newspaper reported Thursday. Rehman told the Dawn that she was neither consulted nor informed about the decision. “I resigned from my federal ministry on a point of principle, but I had not resigned from my party office. However, it is the prerogative of the party to replace me,” the Dawn quoted her as saying. She said she had been appointed by Benazir Bhutto and performed in difficult times. “I served for four years while the term was for two years. I am sure the new information secretary will do even better. I wish her and my party all the best.” She said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had asked her to return to the Cabinet but she was not prepared to accept the offer at the moment. Rehman had taken over the post of PPP information secretary from senior leader Taj Haider. Rehman shot to prominence for her performance during and after the general election. She was considered to be close to Zardari until she resigned from the Cabinet reportedly in protest against interference in the affairs of her ministry by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik. She was a trusted adviser and confidante of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and was part of her political team when the Charter of Democracy was signed in London. When asked if she was considering to quit the party, she said: “I do not intend to leave the party, but I am getting some signals.” She said Wahab was the right person to meet the challenges faced by the party. Rehman said her resignation as minister had not yet been accepted and the prime minister had been kind and affectionate to her.
