PESHAWAR, April 28: Begum Zari Sarfaraz, a prominent worker of the Independence Movement and philanthropist, who died after a brief illness in Islamabad on Sunday, was laid to rest in her ancestral graveyard beside her father Sarfaraz Khan and brother Mir Afzal Khan in Mardan on Monday. She was 85.

Born to a wealthy family of Mardan, Begum Zari Sarfaraz was a well-known social worker. As a politician, she devoted her life to the betterment of women’s lot in the country.

During Gen Zia’s era, she headed the 15-member Commission on Status of Women in 1985 and recommended drastic changes in the existing laws to end discrimination against women. During this time, she also served as the federal minister for women development. She also headed All Pakistan Women Association (Apwa), and was a life member of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society.

Being an active worker of the Independence Movement, Begum Zari Sarfaraz’s services during those crucial days were even praised by Quaid-i-Azam. Later, she devoted herself to the welfare of the people who had migrated to Pakistan at the time of partition and were living in miserable conditions.

She turned to charitable work and became the president of TB Association and Frontier Association for Mentally Handicapped. She had also served as head of provincial Zakat council. She was also the chairperson of Trust for Voluntary Oganisations.

Born in 1923 and brought up in the conservative Mardan district, she worked ceaselessly to ameliorate the lot of the people of her native area. She was the patron-in-chief of a hospital named after her father, Sarfaraz Khan District Hospital Charity Trust. Besides, she also headed a number of other organisations set to promote welfare work and education.

During her prime time, she also looked after her family industrial estate and proved herself a successful businesswoman.

APP adds: NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has expressed his deep condolence over the sad demise of known social figure, Begum Zari Sarfaraz and has described her death a great loss.

In a condolence message, the governor expressed his heartfelt sympathies with Aziz Khan, brother of the deceased and other members of the bereaved family on Monday. He said that the services rendered by the deceased in the social well-being of the people of the country especially in the health sector would be remembered for a long time.