Pakistan appoints its first female foreign minister ahead of India talks

Pakistan has appointed its first female foreign minister, filling a key Cabinet position days ahead of peace talks with archrival India.

A statement from the Foreign Office says Hina Rabbani Khar is also the youngest foreign minister in Pakistan’s history, but it does not state her age.Khar, who previously served as deputy foreign minister, was sworn in Tuesday. She is expected to meet with her Indian counterpart later this month as part of a peace process that has struggled since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The top post at the ministry had been vacant since February when the previous foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, had a falling out with the ruling party.