Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan

Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan (7 December 1924 – 26 January 2015) was a Pakistani businesswoman, politician, industrialist and a social worker from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. She was chairperson of the Saif Group of companies from 1964 to 1990. Begum Kulsum remained a parliamentarian and a federal minister in Pakistan in the 1980s.[1][2]

Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan
Born7 December 1924 (1924-12-07) (age 95)
Karak, Kohat, British India
Died26 January 2015(2015-01-26) (aged 90)
Nationality Pakistan
Occupationpolitician, businesswoman

Early life and career

Kulsum was born in 1924 in Karak in Kohat into an Pashtun family. She was a sister of two eminent Pakistani politicians of the area Muhammad Aslam Khan Khattak and Yusuf Khattak.[1] Kulsum was married to a then well-known businessman of Ghaznikhel Lakki Marwat, Khan Saifullah Khan, who was a Khan of the Mawat Tribe. She had five sons with him: Anwar Saifullah Khan, Salim Saifullah Khan, Humayun Saifullah Khan, Javed Saifullah Khan and the famous cardiologist Iqbal Saifullah Khan.[1] She went ahead and developed her late husband's business to the extent that in 2017 it is one of the leading business conglomerates of Pakistan in the fields of textiles, power generation, oil and gas exploration and telecommunications industries.[1]

She was jailed during Zia regime.[3]

Awards, death and legacy
  • Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) by the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf in 2008.[4]
  • Begum Kulsum had the distinction of being the first woman federal minister in Pakistan's history. She had also served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.[2]
  • When her husband Saifullah Khan suddenly died in 1964 at the age of 49, she stepped forward to take over his business despite her lack of formal business training and her responsibilities of raising a family. She later wrote a book on her business management and business dealings called 'Meri Tanha Parwaz' (My Solo Flight).[1]
  • In Pakistan, she was socially very active as well. Begum Kulsum was a founding member of All Pakistan Women's Association (APWA) since 1947. She worked closely with and was an advisor to Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, the founder of APWA, till 1951.[2]
  • She died on 26 January 2015 at age 91.[1]

References
  1. Iftikhar Marwat (27 January 2015). "Begum Kulsum Saifullah passes away". The News International (newspaper). Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. Zahir Shah Sherazi (26 January 2015). "Pakistan's first female federal minister Begum Kulsoom Saifullah Khan passes away". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. http://newsweekpakistan.com/formidable-pashtun-lady/
  4. Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan's Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award listed on Dawn (newspaper), Published 24 March 2008, Retrieved 1 October 2017
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