Both her predecessors, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri were also affluent, feudal and modish. Both of them were almost as much constrained by the military as is Khar. But they apparently had the gender disadvantage when it came to media glare 

India and Pakistan have a largely shared heritage, and their attitude towards women is an illustration of this.  Last year, when Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and the Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik married, derogatory Facebook communities sprouted “We want Kashmir in Sania Bhabhi’s dowry”, “India humara saala hai”, and “Thank you Pakistan for taking Sania, now take Rakhi Sawant too” are just a few examples. All of them at the cost of the bride’s dignity and privacy. Similarly, the Pakistani actress Veena Malik’s starring in the Indian reality show Big Boss got mired in geopolitics, and she was deemed as having brought “dishonor” to Pakistan.

An even cruder attempt happened in September 2009 when a Pakistani online paper (Pakistan Daily Mail) declared that female Indian border troops are "prostitutes". According to the British newspaper - The Telegraph, this led to a complaint to Pakistani High Commission that ISI was attempting to demoralize Indian soldiers.

Shiv Viswanathan’s piece “Yes, Pakistan has more bombs than us!” in The Times of India - the same paper that is promoting the Aman ki Asha, or Hope of Peace campaign in response to Hina Rabbani Khar’s recent stopover in India was a reminder of the intrinsic sexism in both the countries.

Fortunately, Benazir Bhutto’s dress and accessories - in Pakistani public life were relatively conventional. But Khar’s Indian visit shows how tricky it is in backwards societies for a woman to be taken seriously.

Mr. Vishwanathan, in order to not sound explicitly sexist, ties himself in various contradictory contortions. He first insinuates Khar was all style and no substance, discusses her and some other beauties and even accuses Pakistan of wanting to “evade issues” by tactically using good-looking female envoys. But then he asks “why is Indian foreign policy style so dull and listless”. So does he approve of glamour or not?

The writer seems to suffer from a version of the Madonna-whore complex - whereby a female politician can never be both a statesman as well as attractive. To continue with pop psychology, one could without great inaccuracy, accuse the writer of suffering from the Marie Curie-actress complex as well. Either you are intellectual or else a show-piece.

I am not here to defend Khar, who is perhaps inexperienced and under-qualified for the post. But she is well-dressed and that should not be an issue at all. Most Pakistani female politicians (Sherry Rehman, Benazir,  Firdaus Aashiq Awan) and foreign ones ( Clinton, Rice, Palin, Polosi) sport shades, necklaces and hand carries when outside.

Khar’s ascent in politics is based on her feudal descent. Her family, wealth and resourcefulness is publicly known fact and key determinant of her survival in the power game. It is pity that clans, tribes, dynasties, feudalism, cronyism and nepotism dominate Pakistan’s polity. India’s political landscape is similar though not as perverse due to its size, diversity, legacy of land reforms and democratic traditions. Khar has no incentive to act frugal or look austere, considering that even her next election will be determined by her clan.

Both her predecessors, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri were also affluent, feudal and modish. Both of them were almost as much constrained by the military as is Khar. But they apparently had the gender disadvantage when it came to media glare.

Khar’s appointment is indeed intended to soften Pakistan’s image abroad, where its state and society is increasingly perceived as radical and conservative. If you look at Khar’s career, her style quotient has always been there, and therefore this isn’t a maneuver specially crafted to avert India’s attention away from any grave issues. And even if that was the intention, is not the Indian media hysterically falling for the bait? This is as relevant for criticism as hiring female border troops at Wagah by India.

Vishwanathan then writes “Give me an Imran Khan any day. He can spell out the cricket and the politics with zeal and yet talk of his passion for Pakistan.” Pakistanis rarely swear by Khan’s intellect, don’t count cricket prowess when it comes to politics, and so far have not voted for him in large numbers. He has not held a single political office of significance. Nevertheless, it is strange that in his eagerness to dismiss a female minister the writer talks approvingly of Khan, who is said to have ambiguous views about the ISI and the Taliban.

Everyone who follows Indo-Pak relations knows that countless such talks have taken place between the two countries - without much use. No one was expecting Kashmir, Siachen, terrorism and separatist issues to be resolved. To "formulate" quick and lasting solutions is beyond India, Pakistan, USA, Mr. Krishna, Mrs. Khar - and her " cocky roster" of women right now.

This hardly means that the rise of women (like Khar) from feudal families is a sign of women progressing in Pakistan. According to Time magazine, Pakistan one of the top five countries in gender disparity. Yes, Fatima Jinnah contested an election against Ayub Khan in 1954. Even the Lahore Resolution, where Pakistan’s story begins, had a woman delegate named Begum Amjadi Bano. Then there was Asma Jehangir's case in 1971 that ensured Yahya Khan’s martial law was illegal and of course Benazir Bhutto’s election as Prime Minister in 1988. In recent days, we saw Sherry Rehman's initiative against Pakistan's blasphemy laws, Farah Ispahani's bill against sexual harassment, Tehmina Daultana's recent confrontation with ISI chief Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, and Marvi Memon’s independent political stands. But there is a long way to go for the average Pakistani woman.

Even the female politicos hardly have it easy. Zil-e-Huma, a provincial minister from Punjab was shot dead in 2007 by a zealot offended by her ostensibly un-Islamic dressing. Sherry Rehman herself has received countless death  threats.  The hundreds of female parliamentarians in all provinces, some from right-wing religious parties and burqa-clad, some more modern, many of them also raising their families - they are all struggling against chauvinistic attitudes and prying eyes. They deserve applause at home and abroad, not blatant sexism.

The Election Commission of Pakistan is said to exclude 38 millions voters - mainly women. A whopping 59% women voters in N.W.F.P are effectively disenfranchised while other provinces are not far behind. Still, 22% parliamentarians are women. Many former city district officials, members, workers and volunteers at local levels and remote areas are also women - they have their own constraints, ideals and realities. They will never know what a Birkin or Cavalli is.

Mr. Viswanathan noticed the bombs just now, while the missiles have been around much longer. Hopefully, “social scientists" like him will stop obsessing with gender, and emphasize peace processes instead.