Lahore: The 52nd death anniversary of Madar-e-Millat (Mother of the Nation) Fatima Jinnah was observed across Pakistan on Tuesday.
Fatima Jinnah was the sister of Qauid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Founder of Pakistan, and stood by him during the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s.
Nazaria Pakistan Trust (NPT) in Lahore in collaboration with Tehrik-e-Pakistan Workers Trust organised an event to observe her death anniversary.
NPT Vice Chairman Prof Dr Rafiq Ahmad and other members including Mian Farooq Altaf, Begum Mehnaz Rafi, Prof Dr Perveen Khan, Maulana Muhammad Shafi Joosh, and other personalities from different walks of life attended the event.
Paying tribute, they said Fatima Jinnah was remembered for her passionate support of civil rights and devoted struggle in the Pakistan Movement. They said Fatima Jinnah was referred to as the Madar-e-Millat or Mother of the Nation for her dynamic role in the attainment of freedom for Pakistan.
She died in Karachi on July 9, 1967.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)’s MNA from Karachi, Nusrat Wahid, said Fatima Jinnah is a role model for not only Pakistani women but also for the entire nation.
Talking to APP on Tuesday, she said: “Fatima Jinnah stood by her brother, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, during [the] toughest times of his life."
“Not only as a sister but also as a member of [the] muslim nation and citizen of Pakistan, right through her youth to [the] most fragile years of her life, she managed to deliver with utmost success,” said the PTI leader.
“She truly deserves to be celebrated as the champion of democracy as she had risen above her personal interests as well as limitations,” said Nusrat Wahid.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Karachi Syed Arshad Hasan visited the mausoleum of the Madr-e-Millat to lay flowers on behalf of the citizens of Karachi. He said that Madr-e-Millat had rendered unforgettable services for the Pakistan Movement and for the nation.
Women activists in Pakistan also paid tributes to Fatima Jinnah on her death anniversary.
While talking to APP, they said Fatima Jinnah steered a new era that saw the active involvement of women in national politics with a major focus on upholding democratic norms.
Regional Director of Aurat Foundation Mehnaz Rehman said, “She was a personality who brought together all pro-democracy forces on a single platform and made the world understand that democracy and Pakistan are two sides of a single coin.”
“In fact she rejuvenated confidence among Pakistani women as well as those from the marginalized sections about their capacities and capabilities,” said Dr Farah Naz Rehman, a scholar and researcher.
