Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan

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Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan
)

Māder-e-Pakistan
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office
14 August 1947 – 16 October 1951
Prime MinisterLiaquat Ali Khan
Preceded byOrder established
Succeeded byShahbano 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

(1905-02-13)13 February 1905
Liaquat Ali Khan (m. 1932; d. 1951)
EducationMaster in Science (MSc)
Alma materUniversity of Lucknow
OccupationStateswoman
Awards
Military service
Allegiance 
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947

cold war.[3]

She was one of the leading women politicians and nationwide respected female personalities witnessed

prime minister.[1] Rana Liaqat Ali khan as First Lady of Pakistan, she launched programs for woman's development in the newly founded country. Later, she would start her career as a stateswoman that would last a decade.[1]

In the 1970s, she joined hands with

Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army.[4] Ra'ana went on to work and dedicated her life for the social and economic benefit of women of Pakistan till her death in 1990.[1] She died in 1990 due to cardiac arrest and was buried in Karachi, with full state and military honours given to her in her funeral.[1] Because of her services and efforts for medical and woman development and woman empowerment, Ra'ana is commonly known as "Māder-e-Pakistan" (English translation: Mother of Pakistan).[1]

Biography

Early life and education

Sheila Irene Pant was born in

Muslim women society of the British Indian Empire. During this time, Ra'anna became an executive member of Jinnah's Working Committee and served there as economical adviser. Her struggle for emancipation and support for Pakistan continued till the creation of Pakistan for Muslims of India in 1947.[3]

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

Imperial Japan was near attacking India, Jinnah summoned Ra'ana and said to her "Be prepared to train the women. Islam doesn't want women to be shut up and never see fresh air".[9] To undertake this task, Ra'ana organised Muslim women in the same year, when she formed a small volunteer medical corps for nursing and first aid in Delhi.[3] Begum Ra'ana played an important role in creating political awareness among women. Ra'ana was among the aspiring women in South Asia and encouraged hundreds of women to fight for Pakistan shoulder-to-shoulder with men.[3]

First Lady

Begum Liaquat Ali Meets President of MIT in 1950, her husband on the far left

Ra'ana was the first

First Lady of Pakistan.[3] As First Lady, she initiated reforms for woman and child development and social progress of women, and played a major role for women's part in Pakistan's politics.[3] After the assassination of her husband Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951, Begum Ra'ana continued her services for the social and economic benefit of women of Pakistan till her death in 1990.[3] One of the daunting challenges for her was to organise health services for women and children migrating from India to Pakistan.[3]

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

non-political organisation for the social, educational and cultural uplift of the women, named All Pakistan Women's Association (APWA).[6] She was nominated as its first president and unlike Pakistan Women National Guard, the APWA continued to grow as it continuously fought for women's rights in Pakistan.[6] For its services, the Government of Pakistan established APWA College in Lahore as part of its struggle.[6]

Career as stateswoman

Begum Liaquat Ali Khan touring New York's Children's Centre

After her husband's death, Ra'ana went on to start her career as a

Rana Liaquat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics as Professor of Economics and stayed there until 1973.[3] The Government College University awarded her an honorary doctorate in economics and conferred her with a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics in 1967.[3]

Bhutto's companion

In 1972, as Pakistan was dismembered and going through an intense crisis, Ra'ana joined hands with then-President

Islamic laws that were contradictory to Islamic teachings and clearly against women. The general, out of respect for her position in society and achievements, decided to leave her alone.[3]

Death

Begum Liaquat died on 13 June 1990 and was buried next to her husband in the precincts of the

Quaid-e-Azam's Mausoleum.[3] With her has ended a historic period for the women and youth of Pakistan who, in future generations, will no doubt seek inspiration from Begum Liaquat's life and contributions to the emancipation of women.[3]

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.

Nishan-i-Imtiaz
in 1959, Grand Cross of Orange Nassau in 1961 (the Netherlands), International Gimbel Award 1962, Woman of the World in 1965 chosen by the Turkish Women's Association, Ankara, and Vavaliera di Gran Croce in 1966 (Italy).

Eponymous

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^
    aspx
    )
    on 28 March 2014.
  2. ^ Profile of Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ Hina Azmat, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume No. 32, Issue No. 1, January - June 2019 [1]
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ .
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Life devoted to human welfare, Dawn, Muneeza Shamsie, 11 June 1982
  10. ^ "Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan". storyofpakistan.com. 23 October 2013.
  11. ^ Siddique, Mohammad (27 March 2010). "First woman governor?". Dawn. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Women Who Made History". Hilal for Her. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  13. ^ "LIAQUAT ALI KHAN S.E.la Begum Raana". Presidenza della Repubblica (in Italian). Italian Government. Retrieved 22 February 2015.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Mir Rasool Bux Talpur
Governor of Sindh
15 February 1973 – 28 February 1976
Succeeded by
Muhammad Dilawar Khanji