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Miss Fatima Jinnah (Madar-e-Millat)*Published by the daily Khyber Mail, Peshawar on July 9, 1988 Rarely in the history of the sub-continent a lady statesperson and politician has been so praised and adored by the masses as Miss. Fatima Jinnah. She was the sister of the father of nation but that was not the only reason for her popularity as Quaid-i-Azam has had four brothers and three sisters besides her. In fact it was her own dedication and love the very cause that her brother was fighting for realizing the dream of the Indian Muslims. In the recently published book by the Quaid-i-Azam Academy Islamabad, "My Brother", Fatima Jinnah did narrate the story of her brother's last days while she was constantly besides him till his death. The personal services she rendered to the Father of the Nation did earn her a distinction yet it would not be out of reason that the Quaid himself opted for her assistance. As the accounts of the Quid's last physician Dr. Illahi Bux confirm the Quaid was sick for long time since 1945 and as the last words of the last Viceroy of India Lord Mount batten state: "had he (Mount batten) known about the health of Mr. Jinnah and he (Quaid-i-Azam) will be passing away that soon, he would have delayed the partition of India, say for a year", speak about the very role and character of Miss. Jinnah in keeping the personal secrets of the Father of Nations in tact to the last degree, in the mere interests of the Pakistan movement. Probably Quaid-i-Azam knew about the outcome of such at a situation that is why he entrusted his personal assistance and secretarial office to the person of Miss. Jinnah who happened to be of the equal strength and courage in doing her job and honestly she did wonder in her capacity as a sister, friend, companion, secretary and a nurse to the Quaid till his death. And to this effect she had to give up her professional practice of a Medical Doctor (Dentistry). On every occasion of the Quid's engagements, official or private, she was always available to see the smooth executions of the affairs as per the satisfaction of the Quaid. Thus going through her biography one can see her constantly busy by the side of the Quaid while he would be conducting higher meetings, or laying in rest at Ziarat, or in the PAF Falcon on his last journey back to Karachi. After the death of the Quaid, she did prefer to retire to a private life but still was constantly watching the happenings over the national scene. Thus she intervened twice in the national politics. Firstly, in 1954 when the situation in East Pakistan was getting un-Pakistan like and secondly in 1964 when she was nominated by the combined opposition parties of Pakistan to run against the then President Ayub Khan. On that very occasion the country was under a controlled democracy wherein 80,000 member of the Electoral College were to vote for the President. Accordingly she knew the powers of such a government and the very dim chances of her winning but still she did prefer to come forward and e4xtend an open challenge to the then dictatorial regime under its own defined bureaucratic rules. Miss Jinnah stood for the integrity and solidarity of the nation with and under the available rule of law prevailing in the then Pakistan. She voiced for the democracy for the people and by the people. In the end she did loose as it was expected of the then prevailing system but still she helped the masses to have faith in their own destinies and moral character to say 'NO' to any dictatorship. The 1965 elections under the B.D., system electrified the masses that were later to be exploited by the government with the emergence of defense situation at Runn of Kuch area bordering India and the September war. During all this time she remained silent and was watching developments accepting her defeat as a democratic process amid an undemocratic system was being made available. This was the proof of her being a gentle politician who would go to any extreme but within the available legal limits. A year later after the said election on 9 July 1966 miss Jinnah died while in sleep and was buried in the Mazare Quaid-i-Azam area besides Quaid-i-Millat Liaqat Ali Khan and Sardar Nishtar, two other trusted lieutenants of the Father of Nation. Previous | Next
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