KARACHI: A full-day seminar on the life and struggle of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, jointly sponsored by the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution and Anjuman Tejarat, Mulazmeen-o-Zaraat Pesha Khawateen, was held Sessi’s head office on Tuesday.

Inaugurated by Mr Nasir Hayat, commissioner social security, the first session was presided over by Dr Pirzada Qasim, vice-chancellor Urdu University. Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh, principal Sindh Madrasatul Islam and an elderly poet Khursheed Bano Shama, who worked with Miss Fatima Jinnah in the past were the speakers.

The second midday session was addressed by Professor Shariful Mujahid, founder chairman Quaid-e-Azam Academy, and known writer and biographer Dr Mohammad Raza Kazmi, with Prof Husnain Kazmi in the chair.

The third and final after-lunch session was presided over by secretary labour Raja Mohammad Abbas. Begum Tazeen Fareedi, national chairman APWA, delivered her address on the role of Miss Jinnah in the struggle for Pakistan, and Ms Shamim Kazmi, president of the Anjuman eulogized her contribution to social life as a working woman.

Pirzada Qasim, in his presidential discourse, said Miss Jinnah was a clear about the role she had to play in the life of her great brother and in the struggle for Pakistan. He said after the Quaid’s demise she had devoted her life to the cause of education promotion and better health-care, nurturing the new generation and defending democracy at all cost.

Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh defined four stages in Miss Jinnah’s life, from the age of two years to the year she breathed her last, — a working woman, a committed social reformer and a true democrat. He said she extensively toured the former East Pakistan and the West Pakistan during her presidential election in 1964, and was thus a bridge between the two wings of the country. Had she been the president, he said, Pakistan would never have been divided.

Earlier, Mr Nasir Hayat spoke briefly on the practical life of Miss Jinnah and Ms Fatima Hasan delivered a paper on the life of Miss Jinnah who inculcated the social and political consciousness in Muslim women. She never accepted any office and worked with no desire for power.

Khursheed Bano Shama recalled some interesting episodes while she was working as a girl guide with Miss Jinnah in the task of refugee rehabilitation and founding of educational institutions.

Prof Mujahid admired Miss Fatima Jinnah’s role as a democrat and social reformer, “a model modern Muslim women who paved the way for Pakistani women to progress”.

Prof Husnain Kazmi recalled the progressive role of the Muslims, the great contribution of the Quaid-i-Azam and Miss Jinnah, and said Islam was a progressive religion and a Muslim could never be retrogressive.

Dr Kazmi recalled the contribution of Miss Jinnah in the social and political development of the Muslim society and quoted her illuminating statements from a compilation published in 1976.

“She used to recall the ideals of Muslim leaders and of the Pakistan movement at every important occasion. Had she not done so, our political life would have been even worse than we find it to day,” Mr Kazmi said.

The secretary labour in the concluding session said that the Social Security North Karachi Medical Centre had been renamed as the Fatima Jinnah Social Security Medical Centre.—Hasan Abidi