Begum Ra'ana Liaqat Ali

Khan (Urdu: ,
born Sheila Irene Pant; February 1905
13 June 1990), DPhil, NI, was one of
the leading woman figures in
the Pakistan Movement along with her
husband Liaquat Ali Khan, and a career
economist, and
prominent stateswoman from
the start of the cold war till the fall and
the end of the cold war.[2] Ra'anna was
one of the leading woman politicians
and nationwide respected woman
personalities who started her career in
the 1940s and witnessed key major
events in Pakistan.[2]She was one of the
leading and pioneering woman figures

in the Pakistan Movement and served

as the executive member of Pakistan
Movement committee working
under Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[2] She also
served as economic adviser to Jinnah's
Pakistan Movement Committee and
later became First Lady of Pakistan
when her husband Liaqat Khan Ali
became Pakistan's first prime minister.
[1]
As First Lady of Pakistan, she
launched programs for woman's
development in the newly founded
country. Later, she would start her
career as a stateswoman that would
last a decade.[1]
In the 1970s, she joined hands
with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's political
movementand joined the socialist

government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,

elected prime minister at that time. She
was one of the most trusted and close
government and economical advisers
to Bhutto and his government, and had
played influential role and involved with
many key economical decisions taken
by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.[3] Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto led the appointment of Ra'ana
as theGovernor of Sindh Province, and
she took the oath on 15 February 1973.
Ra'ana was the first woman Governor
of Sindh as well as
first Chancellor ofUniversity of Karachi.
[3]
In 1977, Ra'ana along with Bhutto
and his party, and won
the parliamentary elections of 1977, but
did not take the gubernatorial office due

to martial law imposed by General Ziaul-Haq, Chief of Army Staff ofPakistan

Army.[3] Ra'ana went on to work and
dedicated her life for the social and
economic benefit of women of Pakistan
till her death in 1990.[1] She died in 1990
due to cardiac arrest and was buried in
Karachi, with full state and military
honours given to her in her funeral.
[1]
Because of her services and efforts
for medical and woman development
and woman empowerment, Ra'ana is
commonly known as "Mder-ePakistan" (English translation: Mother
of Pakistan).[1]