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Early Life Fatima Jinnah was the youngest of eight brothers and sisters born to Jinnah's father Poonja Jinnah, a comfortable merchant of Karachi. In appearance Fatima Fatima resembled Mohammad Ali Jinnah, her eldest brother.1 In 1902, she was sent to the Bandara convent where she remained in the hostels as her parents had died. In 1919, she enrolled in Dr. Ahmed's Dental College at Calcutta. On graduating in 1923, she opened her own dental clinic in Bombay.2 By his support for his sister, Jinnah made a point that he was not averse to the idea of girls getting higher education. He always wanted women to participate in political rallies. Fatima was always at her brother's side on all public occasions. She made speeches at various girls schools and colleges, and also at the women's rallies.3 No wonder she came to be known as Khatoon-i-Pakistan.4 He trusted her implicitly and she had full faith in him.
Once Jinnah told his naval ADC Ahsan, "nobody had faith in me; everyone thought I was mad except Miss Jinnah".5 After Jinnah's death, she came to be called Madar-i-Millat.
Review of Literature There have been few important books written about Fatima. Her own account of her brother is full of Jinnah's praise, even her description of her father's trade is full of lucrativeness 6 (Fatima Jinnah 1987: vii-viii, 45-47). About Jinnah Poonja's prosperous trade in early years has also been penned by Jaswant Singh7 (Singh 2009: 62). Dr Riaz Ahmed's book consists of Fatima Jinnah's role in women up lift and girl development. Other political issues had been addressed by her but it was rare8 (Ahmed 2003). She became political during president campaign against Ayub Khan9 (Khyber Mail 14 May 1957).
She was a social activist in many forms. To suffer of flood in East Pakistan and West Pakistan, resettlement of refugees, health issues and T.B patients was her priority10 (Fatima Jinnah Papers file 174, National Archives of Pakistan Dawn 5 November 1956). As a presidential candidate failure she put the blame on pressure of major political parties and her desire to do some thing for Pakistan11 (Ahmed 2003: 155-57). Fatima Jinnah accompanied Jinnah to all political and social gatherings. Therefore in various letters to Jinnah a respectful reference to...