ISLAMABAD, July 31: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali paid glowing tributes on Thursday to Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah for creating the first stirrings of democracy in Pakistan and spearheading the cause of women education.

The prime minister was speaking at a function jointly organized by Education Minister Zubaida Jalal and Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad at the National Library auditorium to celebrate Ms Jinnah’s 110th birth anniversary.

The function was part of the Madar-i-Milat Year 2003, commemorative programme. It was telecast live on PTV networks.

The prime minister was scheduled to make a nationwide speech from the venue but he was busy guiding relief work in the flood stricken areas of Balochistan and Sindh, and made the speech through videophone from Karachi.

Mr Jamali said that Madar-i-Milat was convinced that Pakistan could make a mark in the international community through democracy, and was equally concerned by the situation in Kashmir where the people were struggling for the right to self-determination.

He said Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah respected her dedication and hard work for the campaign for a separate Muslim homeland as well as her mature and common sense political wisdom.

The prime minister observed that only Ms Jinnah deserved to be addressed as Mohtarma. She led the cause for women emancipation, and created in them a longing to rise up and shed backwardness, misery, poverty and sloth.

The premier recalled his personal association with Ms Jinnah, and said he was proud to have served as her bodyguard during the years when she was trying to revive democracy.