FATIMA JINNAH
Known as "Madar-e-Millat"(Mother of the Nation) Fatima Jinnah was the only sibling with whom Jinnah established a close and continuing relationship. Sadly, her role during the Pakistan Movement often goes under-appreciated. Fatima Jinnah was also associated with the politics of the newly formed country. She initially endorsed the seizure of the Iskandar Mirza Government by the military in 1958. Taking clue from mass disillusionment, she said in a speech: "a new era has begun under General Ayub Khan and the armed forces have undertaken to root out the administrative malice and the anti-social practices". By 1964,however, she had apparently lost faith in Ayub, sensing that he too was little more than an opportunist and power-seeker. She agreed to be the Combined Opposition Parties (COP's) candidate for the presidential elections of January 1965. Miss Jinnah lost his election which were held under Ayub's controversial constitutional system under which candidates for the presidency would place their names before his electoral college of Basic Democrats. Ayub's victory, however, was pretty slim and many believe he would have lost to Miss Jinnah if clections had been conducted on the basis of direct franchise.
FAIZ AHMAD FAIZ
Faiz Ahmad Faiz shot to fame as a promissing poet to in the 1930s. The Progressive Writers Association had given a new direction to the arts in the subcontinent and Faiz was soon to became its most prominent exponent. He was able to merge the stylish lyricism of our mainstream ghazal tradition with a declamatory style usually associated with rebellion. He was made the Chief Editor of The Pakistan Times, the newspaper representing progressive ideas and was arrested in 1951 for allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to overthrow the government. He was acquitted but was arrested again after three years. He wrote some of his best poetry in jail while he was being tried for treason. After headed Alhamra Lahore, a college in Karachi and finally was instrumental in setting up the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. In the last years, he lived in exile, editing the magazine Lotus from Beirut. He ws awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1963 for giving a poeric expression to the wowntrodden and wretched of the earth without being too declamatory.
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