FAUZIA Wahab was born on Nov 14, 1956. She played a major role in empowering Pakistani women. Throughout her life she fought for democracy, human rights and women’s empowerment. Through sheer hard work and sincerity she became the face of the PPP.

As the party’s MNA and office-bearer, she worked for women’s empowerment, and played a key role in a number of bills related to their empowerment, changing the face of how women are treated in Pakistan.

She embarked on her political career by volunteering for the PPP in the 1988 general elections. In 1995, she became the information secretary of the Sindh PPP Women’s Wing. She also remained a member of the party’s advisory council from 1994 to 1996 and chairperson of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s information committee from 1994 to 1995.

She was mainly interested in foreign affairs, finance and women development issues. In 1998, Benazir Bhutto nominated her to become the coordinator of the Human Rights Cell.

In 2003 she attended a National Defence College course for bringing politicians and armed forces’ personnel closer to each other. In June 2004, she was invited by the National Democratic Institute to attend the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

She was appointed information secretary of the party in 2009. She upheld the liberal face of the PPP in a highly polarised and charged environment of Pakistan.

Fauzia Wahab died on June 17, 2012, in a private hospital in Karachi due to complications in elective gall bladder surgery.

She will be long remembered for her services to democracy, specially women empowerment. On Aug 14, 2012, she was honoured with a posthumous Hilal-i-Imtiaz award for her services to democracy and parliament.

When I think about it all, I feel our people were never as poor as they are today without Fauzia Wahab on her 57th birthday. Happy Birthday to you, Fauzia Wahab.

DR SAIFUR REHMAN Islamabad