LAHORE - Pakistan Movement worker K.H. Surayya Khursheed yesterday highlighted the key role of women in the struggle for Pakistan.

“We must also play an energetic role in the nation-building task, too. Had Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah not stood by the Quaid-i-Azam to look after and encourage him, we might have been leading the life of slavery in India,” Khursheed said during her presidential address at a special sitting on the topic “Women’s Role in the Pakistan Movement”.

The Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust and the Pakistan Movement Workers Trust organised the sitting in connection of the Independence Day celebrations at the Aiwan-i-Karkunan-i-Tehreek-i-Pakistan. Begum Mehnaz Rafi, Prof Dr Parveen Khan, Begum Safia Isahq, Begum Hamid Rana, Prof FaizaZaheer, Fazarana Butt, Jahan Ara, Dr Sayyeda Hina Rizvi, Naila Umar, Nasima Ashraf, Sana Iqbal, Riffat Bano, Najma, Nasim, Samreen Atique and a large number of women from various fields of life attended the event.

Begum Surayya went on to say that women must play their role side by side with men in the progress and development of the country. “Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was practicing as a dentist. When the Quaid-i-Azam’s wife died, she left her profession and devoted her life to looking after her brother.

“Begum Shahnawaz and Salma Tasadduq Hussain along with hundreds of other ladies took an active part in the Pakistan Movement. According to the Quaid-i-Azam, no nation can achieve anything great without the participation of women,” she added.

Prof Dr Parveen Khan observed that, according to the Quaid-i-Azam, the pen and the sword are two great powers but a woman has great power than these two.

“Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Begum Shahnawaz, Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, Begum Geeti Ara, Begum Farrukh Hussian, Begum Zari Sarfaraz, Begum Shaista Ikram Ullah, Fatima Begum and others awakened the Muslim women from inactivity and organised them to play an active part in the struggle for Pakistan.”