Begum Mumtaz Jamal

Begum Mumtaz Jamal, daughter of Taj Muhammad Khan, was born in October 1926 at Peshawar. She received her early education at the Lady Griffith High School and graduated from St. Executor Convent College, Peshawar.

With the formation of the Provincial Women's sub-committee of the Muslim League, Begum Mumtaz Jamal joined it as propaganda secretary. During the League election campaign, Begum Mumtaz Jamal played a distinguished role in support of the League candidates and in popularising the League objectives in the N.W.F. Province.

In 1946, the provincial women's sub-committee was reorganised, and she became secretary of the sub-committee. She, however, continued as propaganda secretary as well.

When the Punjab civil disobedience movement against the Khizr ministry had its repurcussions on the N.W.F.P., Begum Mumtaz Jamal led the women with remarkable sense of leadership and arranged several meetings of women in the province urging them to take active part in the movement. She herself led most of the processions and also organised an 'action committee' comprising leading workers to act as vanguard of the movement in the Frontier Province. About the same time the Women's National Guard of the Muslim League was brought into being in the province and Begum Mumtaz Jamal was appointed its salar.

In April 1947, when Lord Mountbatten visited the N.W.F.P she joined a deputation of women which was to place their grievances before the Viceroy. She along with other women leaders met the governor as well and urged him to dismiss the frontier ministry.

During the referendum, she organised a vigorous campaign in favour of Pakistan.