Benazir Bhutto to Nigar Johar: A salute to women extraordinaire of Pakistan

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, March 8, the integral contribution of the women of Pakistan to the growth and prosperity of the country must not be overlooked.

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From bureaucracy to judiciary, from security forces to politics, from sports to education and arts & culture, the women of Pakistan, constituting close to half of the population of this country, have always been at the forefront and demonstrated strength, resilience and commitment to leave a lasting mark in this male-dominated world, despite all the gender gap and inequalities.

Today, let’s walk through some of the momentous achievements of these distinguished women and salute to all extraordinaire, who have had their part in defining the history of Pakistan, for the years to come.

In a look at the trailblazer women of Pakistan in politics, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, the Madar-e-Millat (Mother of the Nation) tops the list, for her efforts to promote women’s participation in the fight for independence and civil rights.

Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan (first woman governor of Sindh), Benazir Bhutto (first woman prime minister of Pakistan and the Islamic world), Dr Fahmida Mirza (first woman Speaker of the National Assembly), Ghazala Gola (deputy speaker of Balochistan Assembly), Suraya Bibi (deputy speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly) and very recently elected Maryam Nawaz (first woman chief minister in Pakistan), are some other prominent female trailblazers of Pakistan’s politics.

Moreover, Dr Sawera Prakash and Rehana Bibi became the pioneer woman minority member and the first woman to contest for the seat in the Balochistan Assembly respectively in the recently held general Elections.

In the legal landscape, Justice Ayesha Malik, the first female judge to serve the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Musarrat Hilali, the second female to be elevated, and Sabahat Rizvi, the first woman secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, are some notable contributors, along with Asma Jahangir, the first woman president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Women also have some monumental contributions to the security and law enforcement of Pakistan, with Lt Gen Nigar Johar Khan, the first woman lieutenant-general of the Pakistan Army and ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, who received widespread acclaim for her heroic efforts and commitment to duty in the recent Lahore’s Ichhra Bazaar incident, to name a few.

Ayesha Farooq is the first woman fighter pilot in the country, whereas, Helena Saeed is the first woman Additional Inspector General of Police and UN Police Commissioner.

Zubeida Mustafa is the first woman journalist of Pakistan to receive an IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award.

Architect Yasmeen Lari, the recipient of the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2023; bowler Nida Dar, who made T20I wickets century; Oscar and BAFTA-nominated Laraib Atta, for James Bond’s ‘No Time to Die’; Oscar-winning and Hilal-e-Imtiaz recipient filmmaker and journalist Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy; Grammy-winning singer Arooj Aftab and mountaineers Samina Beig and Naila Kiani are some more inspiring women who etched the name of Pakistan on the global map.

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