By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Madar-e-Millat (mother of the nation) Fatima Jinnah, the sister of founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was remembered with reverence and respect across the country on Thursday ( July 9).
Today, 53 years after her tragic death, the iron lady is still remembered for her passionate support for civil rights and devoted struggle towards the Pakistan Movement.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah was deeply affected after his wife’s death in 1929, so Fatima Jinnah worked side by side with Mohammad Ali Jinnah and gathered the women of sub-continent on one platform which made the struggle for achieving a separate state of Muslims easier, private news channels reported.
She was the closest to Muhammad Ali Jinnah who became her guardian upon the death of their father in 1901. She played an important role in the Pakistan Movement, supporting the two-nation theory and strongly opposing the British Raj.
After the independence of Pakistan, she 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 returned to the political forefront to contest the 1964 elections at the age of 71 against Ayub Khan but was defeated unfortunately.
Fatima died in Karachi on 9 July 1967 at the age of 71. Though her cause of death is attributed to heart failure, rumours were rife that she was murdered at her house.
Fatima Jinnah is still remembered for her passionate support for civil rights, and devoted struggle in Pakistan Movement. She was laid to rest next to her brother at Mazar-e-Quaid.
