July 9 marks the 56th death anniversary of Madr-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah. As the sister of Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, she is revered as a national figure whose role was crucial in the early years of the newly formed country.

Her life after partition was spent in a house in a house in Karachi which is still preserved and carries items that were in her use.

The house is now known as Quaid-e-Azam house but was previoulsy referred to as the Flag Staff House.

The Quaid lived here from 1944 to his death. Fatima Jinnah also lived here for the last 17 years of her life till her death in 1967. In 1985, the government took control of the house to preserve is as an important part of the country’s heritage.

She was residing in the house when she contested the presidential election against Ayub Khan. Her election symbol, lantern, is also preserved in this house.

The house also contains a dressing room where a jewelery box and two perfumes that were used by her are kept. A pair of slippers used by her, as well as other daily use objects are also preserved.

The vehicles used by her for commuting are also rpeserved in the museum.

The house also carries numerous photographs of her going about her political and social work inlcuding meetings.

She also participated actively in social work, especially welfare projects for women. She founded a school in Karachi which became a college in 1963.

During partition, she founded a committee for the aid of women ehich later became the All Pakistan Women Association. After a long life dedicated to the progress of Pakistan, she passed away in 1967.

Photos by Kamran Sheikh.