Mader-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah is being remembered on her 54th death anniversary on Friday June 9th (today).
Fatima Jinnah was born on 31 July 1893, Gujarat, British India, and was the youngest of her other six siblings and was the sister of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah – the founder of Pakistan.
A dentist by profession, Fatima Jinnah emerged as one of the leading figures of Pakistan Movement and was essentially the most trusted lieutenant of Pakistan’s founder.
Fatima Jinnah accompanied Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on almost every political meeting, gathering and rally was his ‘confidant’ and most trusted advisor throughout Pakistan Movement.
Following the creation of Pakistan, Fatima Jinnah formed the Women’s Relief Committee which eventually led to the establishment of All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) by Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan.
Jinnah also played a leading role in resettlement of Muhajirs (migrants) who had migrated from India to Pakistan during the 1947 partition.
In the 1960s, she returned to the forefront of political life when she ran for the presidency of Pakistan as a candidate for the Combined Opposition Party of Pakistan (COPP) against Ayub Khan.
Despite the fact that Fatima Jinnah lost the 1965 Presidential Elections against Ayub Khan, she still remains one of the most prominent political figures and more so as a female political leader.
The Pakistani nation gave her the title Mader-e-Millat (Mother of the nation) for her contribution to the independence struggle and freedom movement which led to the creation of Pakistan.
Fatima Jinnah passed away on July 9th 1967. Official accounts term her death as a result of a heart attack; however, many historians and writers persist that the ‘mother of the nation’ was in fact murdered.
