Partition story: Down memory lane

Pakistan’s independence history is replete with sacrifices of people and families. While we have many unsung heroes of Pakistan movement, there are also known families in Pakistan, whose work was not promoted the way it should have been although they rendered huge sacrifices for creating this country and inculcated the same spirit in their next generation who in turn served Pakistan in the post-partition era.

A Pakistan movement stalwart, a women rights activist, an advocate of girls education, a writer, a poetess, a social worker Begum Khurshid Syed Hafiz Aziz was one such woman. A close associate of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, she was the General Secretary of Lucknow Chapter of Ladies wing of All India Muslim League, and was elected as the only Muslim Member of Hyderabad Deccan State Assembly. She was the co-founder of Pakistan's largest Girls College, Sir Syed Girls College, co-founder of Hajirabad Colony (present Shah Faisal Colony), a colony comprising more than 600 houses which were acquired for the destitute women and widows of martyrs of independence movement, under Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah's patronage between 50s and late 60s. She was Member of Pakistan Delegation to International Democratic Women's Organisation conference in Finland and Russia. When Holy Ghilaf-i-Ka’abah was made in Pakistan for the first time in early sixties and sent with a delegation headed by late Maulana Abdul Hamid Badayuni to Saudi Arabia just before Hajj, she was the only female member of that delegation who went with her husband Syed Abdul Hafiz Aziz.

In her first ever interview to The News, Begum Khurshid’s beloved daughter Mrs Zuleikha Zar reminisces about her doting mother, who inculcated patriotism in all her children, each of whom is a renowned personality in their own right.

With a Master’s degree in Economics, an advance course in Development Economics and a post graduate diploma course from Canada in Project Planning and Development, Mrs Zuleikha Zar served in various government departments in Pakistan on prominent positions and retired as Director General of National Institute of Labor Administration. She served in the United Nation’s agency ILO at its regional headquarters in Thailand, Bangkok as a special consultant for 32 countries of Asia Pacific and visited many countries of the world. While Chinese government was holding International Labour ministers conference in Beijing, China, Mrs Zar was nominated by the government of Pakistan to go there and help in facilitation of conference.

Spending time with her mother since her childhood and helping her in her welfare activities, Mrs Zar is now serving as the administrator of her mother’s school in Shah Faisal Colony. Talking about early life of her mother, she said:

“My maternal grandfather was a Zamindar and was given the title of “Nawab Abdullah Khan of Kasmandi” by the British government and he ruled over 20-21 villages. Enjoying immense respect in pre-partition era, my family was very religious and women would observe strict pardah. Getting education, especially for girls, in such a situation was an uphill task. My mother after attending a school in India, joined a college for a while but soon was married at a young age of 14-15 years. She continued her education later at home and took further exams as a private candidate. My maternal grandfather had hired a British tutor for my mother, as was the tradition in well off families those days. She learnt Persian language and had command over Urdu literature, religion and other subjects due to her very strong reading habits. With a marvelous stamina she would look after the house, raising seven children (three girls and four boys.) and also participating in social activities. In Lucknow, I vaguely remember she used to teach Holy Quran to ladies and would deliver speeches at a ladies Club called “Zanana Park”. These initial meetings paved her way towards her enviable political career.