Kulsum Saifullah Khan
politician
- December 7, 1924
- January 26, 2015
- 91 years
About Kulsum Saifullah Khan
Kulsum Saifullah Khan, 91, Pakistani businesswoman and politician.
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Full Biography
|Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan (7 December 1924 – 26 December 2014) 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 served as a parliamentarian and a federal minister in Pakistan in the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life and career
Kulsum was born in 1924 in Karak in Kohat into a Pashtun family. She was a sister of two Pakistani politicians of the area Muhammad Aslam Khan Khattak and Yusuf Khattak. Her brother, Habibullah Khan Khattak, was the founder of Bibojee Group.
Kulsum was married to a then well-known businessman of Ghaznikhel Lakki Marwat, Khan Saifullah Khan, who was a Khan of the Marwat Tribe. She had five sons with him: Anwar Saifullah Khan, Salim Saifullah Khan, Humayun Saifullah Khan, Javed Saifullah Khan and the Cardiologist Iqbal Saifullah Khan.
She went ahead and developed her late husband's business to the extent that as of 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.
She was jailed during General Zia Ul-Haq's presidency in Pakistan.
Awards, death and legacy
- Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction) by the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf in 2008.
- 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.
- When her husband Saifullah Khan suddenly died on 4 April 1964 at the age of 48, 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) published in 2011.
- 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.
Death
- She died on 26 January 2015 at age 91.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulsum_Saifullah_Khan
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Kulsum Saifullah Khan's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what year was Kulsum Saifullah Khan born?
- A.1930
- B.1924correct
- C.1918
- D.1940
Kulsum Saifullah Khan was born in 1924 in Karak, Kohat.
Source: Early life and career section
2.What province in Pakistan was Kulsum Saifullah Khan from?
- A.Balochistan
- B.Khyber Pakhtunkhwacorrect
- C.Sindh
- D.Punjab
Kulsum Saifullah Khan was a politician and social worker from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Source: Introductory paragraph
3.Who was the founder of the Bibojee Group?
- A.Muhammad Aslam Khan Khattak
- B.Habibullah Khan Khattakcorrect
- C.Saifullah Khan
- D.Yusuf Khattak
Habibullah Khan Khattak, who was a brother of Kulsum Saifullah Khan, was the founder of the Bibojee Group.
Source: Early life and career section
4.How many sons did Kulsum Saifullah Khan have with her husband Khan Saifullah Khan?
- A.Six
- B.Four
- C.Three
- D.Fivecorrect
Kulsum Saifullah Khan had five sons with her husband Khan Saifullah Khan.
Source: Early life and career section
5.During which leader's presidency was Kulsum Saifullah Khan jailed?
- A.Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
- B.Ayub Khan
- C.General Zia Ul-Haqcorrect
- D.Pervez Musharraf
Kulsum Saifullah Khan was jailed during the presidency of General Zia Ul-Haq in Pakistan.
Source: Early life and career section
6.What title was awarded to Kulsum Saifullah Khan by President Pervez Musharraf in 2008?
- A.Tamgha-i-Pakistan
- B.Sitara-i-Imtiaz
- C.Hilal-i-Imtiazcorrect
- D.Nishan-e-Pakistan
Kulsum Saifullah Khan received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz from President Pervez Musharraf in 2008.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
7.What was the significance of Kulsum Saifullah Khan's role as a federal minister?
- A.She was the youngest minister
- B.She was the first minister from Karak
- C.She was the first female federal minister in Pakistan's historycorrect
- D.She was the longest-serving minister
Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan held the distinction of being the first woman federal minister in the history of Pakistan.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
8.When did Kulsum Saifullah Khan's husband, Saifullah Khan, pass away?
- A.1960
- B.1964correct
- C.1955
- D.1970
Kulsum Saifullah Khan's husband, Saifullah Khan, died on 4 April 1964.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
9.What is the title of the book published by Kulsum Saifullah Khan in 2011?
- A.Meri Tanha Parwazcorrect
- B.Legacy of the Khattaks
- C.My Political Journey
- D.The Business of Life
Kulsum Saifullah Khan wrote a book about her business management called 'Meri Tanha Parwaz' (My Solo Flight) in 2011.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
10.Kulsum Saifullah Khan was a founding member of which organization in 1947?
- A.National Education Council
- B.Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
- C.All Pakistan Women's Associationcorrect
- D.Pakistan Industrial Federation
Kulsum Saifullah Khan was a founding member of the All Pakistan Women's Association (APWA) starting in 1947.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
11.Who was the founder of the All Pakistan Women's Association?
- A.Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khancorrect
- B.Benazir Bhutto
- C.Kulsum Saifullah Khan
- D.Fatima Jinnah
Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan was the founder of the All Pakistan Women's Association.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
12.How long did Kulsum Saifullah Khan serve as chairperson of the Saif Group of companies?
- A.From 1980 to 2000
- B.From 1970 to 1995
- C.From 1950 to 1964
- D.From 1964 to 1990correct
Kulsum Saifullah Khan served as the chairperson of the Saif Group of companies from 1964 to 1990.
Source: Introductory paragraph
13.Who was the cardiologist among the sons of Kulsum Saifullah Khan?
- A.Humayun Saifullah Khan
- B.Salim Saifullah Khan
- C.Iqbal Saifullah Khancorrect
- D.Anwar Saifullah Khan
Iqbal Saifullah Khan is identified as the cardiologist son of Kulsum Saifullah Khan.
Source: Early life and career section
14.What date did Kulsum Saifullah Khan pass away?
- A.26 January 2015correct
- B.1 January 2016
- C.26 December 2014
- D.7 December 2014
Kulsum Saifullah Khan died on 26 January 2015 at the age of 91.
Source: Death section
15.Until what year did Kulsum Saifullah Khan work as an advisor to Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan?
- A.1960
- B.1951correct
- C.1964
- D.1947
Kulsum Saifullah Khan worked as an advisor to the founder of APWA, Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, until 1951.
Source: Awards, death and legacy section
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