Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan
Māder-e-Pakistan Spouse of the Prime Minister of Pakistan | |
---|---|
In office 14 August 1947 – 16 October 1951 | |
Prime Minister | Liaquat Ali Khan |
Preceded by | Order established |
Succeeded by | Shahbano Ashraf |
President of All Pakistan Women's Association | |
In office 14 August 1949 – 29 October 1951 | |
Pakistan Ambassador to the Netherlands | |
In office 1954–1961 | |
Pakistan Ambassador to Italy and Tunisia | |
In office 1965–1966 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Sheila Irene Pant 13 February 1905 Liaquat Ali Khan (m. 1932; d. 1951) |
Education | Master in Science (MSc) |
Alma mater | University of Lucknow |
Occupation | Stateswoman |
Awards | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 |
She was one of the leading women politicians and nationwide respected female personalities witnessed
In the 1970s, she joined hands with
Biography
Early life and education
Sheila Irene Pant was born in
Pakistan Movement
With her husband, Ra'ana strongly opposed the Simon Commission.[3] While a Professor of Economics, Ra'ana intensely mobilised students from her college and went to the Legislative Assembly to hear her husband's debate carrying placards of "Simon Go Home".[3] With Liaquat Ali Khan winning the debate, she became an instant hero with her friends.[3] She later sold him a ticket to a stage show to raise funds for flood relief in Bihar.[3] Ra'ana proved to be Liaquat Ali Khan's constant partner and companion.[3] She became politically involved with her husband and played a major role in the Pakistan Movement.[3] She became a defining moment in Pakistan's history when she accompanied her husband to London, United Kingdom in May 1933.[3] There, she and Khan met with Jinnah at Hamstead Heath residence, and successfully convinced Jinnah to return to the British Indian Empire to resume the leadership of the All India Muslim League.[3] Jinnah returned to India, and Ra'ana was appointed as an executive member of the Muslim League and the Chairperson of the Economic Division of the Party.[3]
In 1942, when it became apparent that
First Lady
Ra'ana was the first
In 1947, as the refugees poured in from across the border, amidst the most pitiable of conditions with cholera, diarrhoea and smallpox being common sights everywhere, she called upon women to come forward and collect food and medical supplies from government offices.[3] The women came forward despite the resistance they faced from certain sections of society, including certain newspapers where they were attacked in the most vicious manner by elements that did not want women to come out from their "four walls".[3] She firmly believed that for a society to do justice to itself, it was pertinent that women played their due role in reforming society alongside the men.[3]
During this point in Pakistan's history there weren't many nurses in Karachi, so Begum Liaquat asked the army to train women to give injections and first aid. Women were thus trained in three to six-month courses and as such the para-military forces for women were formed.[3] The Pakistan Army quickly established Army Medical Corps and recruited a large number of women nurses as army nurses.[3] During this period, girls were also personally encouraged by Begum Liaquat to take up nursing as a profession. They were also taught the rifle drill, to decode ciphers, typing and a host of other duties so they could be useful in times of national crisis like the refugee crisis of 1947.[3]
Initiatives for women
Ra'ana founded the Women's National Guard (PWNG), and helped established the Women's Naval Reserves in the Navy, and was appointed as the Chief Controller.[10][1] For her immense services to the military as a civilian, the Pakistan Army notably appointed her as the first woman Brigadier, and an honorary uniform was issued especially for her.[1] The Pakistan Woman National Guard was intended to fight for women's rights and aimed to prevent brutal treatment of women, either received from their spouses or caused by domestic violence. At first, the organisation was successful and took strong initiatives in West-Pakistan to lower the rate of violence against women, as she was the organisation's president.[1] But after her husband's death, Ra'ana left Pakistan as she was appointed Pakistan's Ambassador to the Netherlands. Following her departure, the Pakistan Women National Guard was soon disbanded due to financial distress and the government's apathy. However, the Pakistan Woman Naval Reserves still continues as of today where many women joined the Navy through this program.[1] The program has lasting effects in Pakistan's Armed Forces, and the Army and Air Force later established a Woman Reserves program as part of her vision.[1]
Establishment of APWA
In 1949, Begum Ra'ana arranged a conference of over 100 active women from all over Pakistan. The conference announced the formation of a
Career as stateswoman
After her husband's death, Ra'ana went on to start her career as a
Bhutto's companion
In 1972, as Pakistan was dismembered and going through an intense crisis, Ra'ana joined hands with then-President
Death
Begum Liaquat died on 13 June 1990 and was buried next to her husband in the precincts of the
Honors and legacy
Ra'ana is considered one of the greatest female leaders Pakistan has produced. In Pakistan, she is given the title of "Mother of Pakistan", received in 1950.
- United Nation's Human Rights Award (1978)
- honorary doctorate in Economics (1967)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1 March 1966)[13]
- Woman of the World, Turkish Women's Association (1965)
- Grand Cross of Orange Nassau (1961)
- Nishan-i-Imtiaz(1951)
- Mother of Pakistan in 1950
- Jane Addams Medal in 1950
- Woman of Achievement Medal 1950
Eponymous
- Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan, Government College of Home Economics (RLAK CHE), Karachi – The economics research institutes of the Government College Universityestablished in the 1960s in her honour.
- Raana Liaquat Model Colony – a settlement in Karachi named after Ra'ana Liaqat Ali Khan.
Awards and honours
- Government of Pakistan honoured her with the highest military honour Nishan-e-Imtiaz.
- Queen Juliana of the Netherlands conferred on her the Grand Cross of Orange–Nassau.
- Recipient of the International Gimbel Award for service to humanity (1962).
- United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for her outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in other United Nations human rights instruments (1978).
References
- ^ aspx) on 28 March 2014.
- ^ Profile of Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Faisal Abdulla. "Women of Pakistan: Begum Ra'ana Liaqat Ali Khan". Jazbah Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hassan, PhD., Mubashir (2000) [2000], "Building Pakistan with Mother of Pakistan.", The Mirate, Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, pp. 209–309
- ^ Hina Azmat, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume No. 32, Issue No. 1, January - June 2019 [1]
- ^ a b c d (APWA) Kumauni people, All Pakistan Woman Association. "APWA Public Press". APWA Directorate for Public Services. All Pakistan Woman Association. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011.
- ^ ISBN 9781108131728.
- ^ Ahmed, Khaled (24 June 2019). "Pakistan's First Lady". indianexpress.com. The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Life devoted to human welfare, Dawn, Muneeza Shamsie, 11 June 1982
- ^ "Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan". storyofpakistan.com. 23 October 2013.
- ^ Siddique, Mohammad (27 March 2010). "First woman governor?". Dawn. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Women Who Made History". Hilal for Her. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "LIAQUAT ALI KHAN S.E.la Begum Raana". Presidenza della Repubblica (in Italian). Italian Government. Retrieved 22 February 2015.