The year 1947 marked the end of the British Raj in South Asia and the formation of modern India, But this independence of India came with a hefty price, a bloody partition leading to the formation of India and Pakistan.
We all have heard the wistful story of Partition. Millions of people migrated to Pakistan and millions stayed here in India and vice versa.
One of them was Rana Liaquat Ali Khan’s.
Hina Azmat, Journal “Rethinking of Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan’s Services for Women Empowerment,” writes : “During the 1960s Irene Pant urged the president of Pakistan, Ayub Khan, to pass the ‘Family Law’ to protect women. After the tragic assassination of her husband, she was determined to face bravely the problems that confronted her, especially, the upbringing of her children and their education. Then she accepted a diplomatic posting as an ambassador to the Netherlands and became the world’s first Muslim woman ambassador.
She served the country as an ambassador till 1966. Later, during the 1970s, she became the Governor of Sindh, and this again was the first time that a woman became the governor of a province. During her long life, she visited a few countries as the wife of a Prime Minister, as an Ambassador and on foreign invitations. As a Human Rights activist, she received many national and international awards.”
From the realms of History, a girl named Sheila Irene Pant remarked herself as the first lady of Pakistan. Coming from the hill town of Almora, which is located in present Uttarakhand, India, Irene Pant, daughter of Daniel Pant, was born to a Kumaoni Christian family on February 13th, 1905. Her grandfather originally a Hindu brahmin chose to become a Christian in the year 1887.
Irene Pant was the first lady of Pakistan from 1947 to 1951 as the wife of Liaquat Ali Khan who served as the First Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was also known as Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, completed her early education at Wellesley Girl’s High School, Nainital, in the UP.
She was the third child in a family of four sisters and five brothers. Since her childhood, she had been very active and have the quality of good leadership. After completing her school education, she attended the Isabella Thoburn High School and College in Lucknow.
In 1927, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Arts. During her days in college, she was an active and leading figure in student life and government. At a college function, her Professor remarked to her with these words: “Where she was, there was life and movement- such a lively, intelligent student is both a pleasure and responsibility.”
After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, she received a Master’s in Economics and Sociology, standing first in the Master of Arts Examination of the University. She was awarded the title of ‘Nishan-e-Watan’ & ‘Madar-e-Watan’, which is Pakistan’s highest civilian honour for her services.
Deepa Agarwal in her book “The Begum: A Portrait of Rana Liaquat Ali Khan” describes the history of the first lady from Almora to Pakistan.
“It was on a summer day in April 1933 that Irene Pant embraced an unexpected destiny— she married Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan at Maidens Hotel in Delhi and adopted the Muslim name Gul-e-Rana. She became Begum Liaquat Ali Khan, changing her given name and the religion she was born into.”
“The decision would lead her to a new country, Pakistan, and she would become its first lady—an unlikely destiny for a Christian girl born in Almora, a little town in the remote Kumaon region of the Himalayas where almost every face was familiar and there were hardly any strangers.”
“Fourteen years later, in 1947 she travelled to Pakistan, the country whose birth she and Liaquat Ali Khan had struggled and fought for. Muhammad Ali Jinnah took over as governor-general of Pakistan, and his protégé and close friend Liaquat Ali Khan was appointed its first prime minister”
Hina Azmat in her Journal writes:
During her university days, Northern India was in the grip of the flood. She and her university mates decided to arrange a stage show and sell the tickets to the United Province’s Legislative Assembly.
The first meeting of Irene Pant and Nawabzada Liaquat Ali khan was at the ‘Bihar Flood Relief Fund Campaign. After marriage, the new couple went to Nainital, at the invitation of Nawab Chhatari, who was the acting Governor of U.P at that time.
Soon afterwards in May 1933, they decided to go to England on their honeymoon. It was in London that she and Nawabzada persuaded a disheartened Mr Jinnah that the Muslims of India needed him and he should come back to India.
At that time, the condition of Muslims in India was very miserable. After the Round Table Conferences, M.A Jinnah decided to stay in England. The condition of the Muslim League, the representative party of Indian Muslims, was in miserable condition.
In London, M.A. Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Miss Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana met at Hampstead at a dinner. Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan described that meeting:
“After dinner, Liaquat repeated his plea that the Muslims wanted Jinnah and needed him. I had hero-worshipped Mr Jinnah for a long time. I chirped in and said that I’ll make the women work for you, I’ll bring them back to fold.”
He smiled at me, “You do not know the women; you do not know the world”. But he listened to Liaquat and in the end, he said, “You go back and survey the situation, test the feelings of all parts of the country. I trust your judgment. If you say, ‘come back, I’ll give up my life here and return.”
After returning from London, they embarked upon his ‘opinion determining’ mission. She was always found in the forefront, Begum Rana devoted herself to the task of creating political consciousness.
In 1936, Liaquat Ali Khan become the General Secretary of the All India Muslim League. The second World War (1930-1945) gave a new aspect to the freedom movement. The Indian National Congress decided to withdraw its cooperation with the British Government & resigned from Congress Ministries in 7 provinces. The Muslim League declared December 22, 1939, as the ‘Day of Deliverance, the stage was now set for the birth of Pakistan.
During 1940, there were so many twisters happening in national politics, Begum Rana with her background of higher education and cognizance in the field of Sociology could provide thoughts on the Two-Nation Theory.
In February 1947, Liaquat Ali Khan was appointed as the Finance member in the Interim Government of Lord Wavell. He presented the budget which includes basic principles of social justice for the unification of the poor.
During the crucial years of struggle involvement, Begum Rana proved herself as a true companion, friend, and spouse. She worked and helped her husband for the Muslim League in every aspect. With an extensive and Unbreakable Struggle movement, Pakistan has made its appearance on the world map.
Now, the more challenging call was needed to calm the newborn country. The refugees came in waves of thousands- injured and starving, plagued by disease, without any food, clothes or money. Hospitals were overcrowded, and thousands of people were found dead. There was an insufficiency of transport to provide relief services. It became an enormous problem merely to move food, clothes, medicines and blankets to the needy. Women were attacked and physically violated.
Begum Rana, now the First Lady, was preparing to move fast in the direction of recovering from the national crisis. She moved with this objective and formed several volunteer organizations for the welfare of the country. She formed the Pakistan Women’s Voluntary services to organize & coordinate the women’s activities. Under the guidance of Irene Pant, various kinds of offices were opened. An Employment Bureau, A Lost and Found Bureau, A Marriage Bureau, A Widows House and An Abducted Women’s Home were formed & run by women.
In January 1948, the Pakistan women’s National Guard was set up and proper training was imparted and Begum Rana was given the rank of Brigadier.
In March 1948, she founded the Pakistan Cottage Industries Association with the objectives of reviving and sustaining the National Cottage Industry Art & Craft.
On 18 October 1915, she inaugurated the Karachi Adventist Hospital just forty-eight hours after her husband’s death.
She said, “God gives & takes away, but God’s work of service to humanity must go on.”
Begum Rana died on June 13th, 1990 in Karachi and is buried beside her great husband in the Mazar-e-Quaid compound.