Fatima Jinnah

Fatima Jinnah was a Pakistani dental surgeon, writer, stateswoman and one of the founders of Pakistan. She was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who became the first Governor General of Pakistan. She was a strong critic of the British Raj, and a leading member of the All-India Muslim League. She advocated the separation of Pakistan as an independent state when the Raj ended. After the independence of Pakistan, Jinnah co-founded the Pakistan Women's Association, which played an integral role in the settlement of the women migrants in the newly formed country. She remained the closest confidant of her brother until his death in 1948. After his death, Fatima was banned from addressing the nation until 1951; her 1951 radio address to the nation was heavily censored by the Liaquat administration. She wrote the book My Brother, in 1955 but it was only published 32 years later, in 1987, due to censorship by the establishment, who had accused Fatima of anti-nationalist material. Even when published several pages from the book's manuscript were left out. Jinnah came out of her self-imposed political retirement in 1965 to participate in the presidential election against president Muhammad Ayub Khan. Despite winning the popular vote, Jinnah lost the electoral college to Ayub Khan. Jinnah died of heart failure at the age of 73 in Karachi. Her death is subject to controversy, as some reports have alleged that she died of unnatural causes. Her family members had demanded an inquiry, however the government blocked their request. She remains one of the most honoured leaders in Pakistan, with nearly half a million people attending her funeral in Karachi. Her legacy is associated with her support for civil rights, her struggle in Pakistan Movement and her devotion to her brother. She is commonly known as Madar-e-Millat (Mother of the Nation) and Khatun-e-Pakistan (Lady of Pakistan), and many institutions and public spaces in Pakistan have been named in her honour.