Zubaida Jalal (Urdu: زبيدہ جلال خان; born 31 August 1959), is a Pakistani politician, a teacher, libertarian and social activist ,who served as the Defence Production Minister in August 2018 until April 2022 After successfully contesting in general elections held in 2002 on a PML(Q) platform, she came in national prominence and public fame as a leading woman minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. From 2002 to 2007, she was the minister of education (MoEd) and unsuccessfully contested for general elections held in 2008 on a PML(Q) platform. After a five-year brief break from the national politics, she joined the Pakistan Muslim League (N) but stepped down in favour of Kiran Haider, who successfully retained her seat in 2013 general elections, although she retains herself as a woman leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N). Social and political activism Teachings and services to education After returning from Kuwait, she helped established a school for girls in her village with the support of her father because in that time in such traditional conservative Baloch society did not allowed women to go to schools. While teaching at school, she also taught English literature at the Balochistan University. In 1993, her services were recognised by the Government of Pakistan and honoured her with Pride of Performance Award for Education by the President of Pakistan. She has authored many publications include Papers on Baloch Embroidery and Poverty alleviation. Her political activism started after joining the centre-right Pakistan Muslim League (PML) led by Prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1988; but defected to dissident group in 2000. She successfully contested in general elections held in 2002, securing 44,177 voted from her NA–27 constituency. In 2002, she was appointed as the minister of Minister of Education (MoEd) and took oath from President Pervez Musharraf as part of the Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali's cabinet. She would later given extension and would continue served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Education ministry In 2004, Zubaida Jalal announced that "all religious seminaries will now be involved in all mainstream education programmes." Approved by President Pervez Musharraf, the programme was in making the madrassa (seminaries) integrated with modern education reforms. Jalal personally had approved the ₨. 225–500 million from the government for 2003–04; all funding were jointly released by the US AID. Reforms were set to be carried out to change the school curriculum and many