Viqar-un-Nisa Noon


Begum Viqar un Nisa was the First Lady of Pakistan from 1957 to 1958. By profession, she was a social worker. She married 7th Pakistani Prime Minister Sir Feroz Khan Noon in 1945 and also participated in the Pakistan Movement, which led to the creation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Viqar was an Austrian by birth and origin, and was born as Victoria in July 1920.

Involvement with Pakistan Movement

After her marriage she converted to Islam, and renamed herself from Victoria to Viqar un Nisa. The Noons left Delhi the same year after Sir Feroz resigned from the Indian Viceroy's cabinet, and moved to Lahore. Lady Noon had firsthand exposure to Pakistan politics, and involved herself with local politics, becoming a member of the Punjab Provincial Women's Subcommittee, organizing rallies and processions for the Muslim League. During the Civil Disobedience Movement in Punjab, Lady Noon helped organize protests and demonstrations against the British-backed Khizar's cabinet, being arrested three times.

Accession of Gwadar

Viqar-un-Nisa Noon played a small role in accession of Gwadar to Pakistan. She reportedly "worked hard" in London in 1956 to "get" Gwadar for Pakistan through British PM and parliament's approval for British colony Oman to give "custody" to Pakistan,She visited Winston Churchill for 'lobbying' at British parliament in 1956 for ' Gwadar port' to be given to Pakistan and get approval from House of Lords

Social work

Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947 and the mass transfer of people across the border, she engaged in ameliorating the refugee crisis, lending assistance to various refugee camps and committees. She was involved with the Red Cross and engaged herself in local social work. She helped found Viqar un Nisa College for Women, Rawalpindi, Pakistan and the Viqarunnisa Noon School, a famous school for girls in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Later life

Her husband Sir Feroz later became the first Governor of East Pakistan and ultimately the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1957. After his death she continued to be involved in social work activities, along with other prominent lady social workers of Pakistan, such as late Begum Mahmooda Salim Khan, Attiya Inayatullah and Begum Zari Sarfaraz; and remained a senior and executive member of such organisations as the Family Planning Association of Pakistan, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, the National Crafts Council of Pakistan and others. In 1959, she was also awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz for her services to the nation. For a brief while, she also remained Federal Minister for Tourism and Culture in the Government of Pakistan, during the regime of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. In her later life, she spent a great deal of her time at her cottage "Al-Feroz", in the hills near Abbottabad, Pakistan, and in scenic Islamabad, where she found creative solace to paint and write.
Viqar-un-Nisa Noon died on 16 January 2000 in Islamabad after a prolonged illness.

Acknowledgment