subject, including politics. Altaf Husain, then editor of Dawn, eventually agreed to give her a wider scope. He recognised the merit of her work by giving her a new assignment – that of a columnist appearing on the editorial page. Begum Hamidullah became the first female political commentator of Pakistan. Her column established her reputation as an honest columnist who was not afraid to voice her opinions. It was also a huge step for the women's rights movement in Pakistan. 1951–1956 In 1951, she left Dawn, after editor Altaf Husain demanded that she focus her writing on "issues relating to women," an apparent reference to an earlier message in which he suggested she write about "cooking, child-rearing, and other matters of feminine concern." Hamidullah founded a monthly magazine called the Mirror, and became its editor and publisher in 1952. She became a businesswoman as well as the first female editor and publisher in the nation. Her glossy social pictorial, with its courageous and sincere editorials, was an instant success. The Mirror became very popular, and Begum Hamidullah soon became quite famous as a journalist and editor. The Pakistani government included her in numerous press delegations during this period. She was one of the founding members of the Pakistani Working Women's Association, as well as a close friend of Fatima Jinnah, sister of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, and Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan, wife of Pakistan's first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan. Some of her other close friends were: Hakim Said, Salima Ahmed, Ardeshir Cowasjee, Syed Hashim Raza, Shaista Ikramullah, and Jahanara Habibullah. She was a founder member of the Karachi branch of Business and Professional Women's Foundation, and served as its first chapter-president. She held this position for two consecutive terms. She was also the first president of the Women's International Club of Karachi, a member of the Horticultural Society, and first woman-president of the Flower Show Committee. Another organisation Hamidullah played an important role in was the All Pakistan Women's Association, founded by her friend Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan. In 1955, as part of a press delegation to Cairo, she became the first woman to speak at the ancient Al-Azhar University. Her speech was controversial, as she discussed Pakistan's Kashmir issue. However, it was a great distinction for her. In 1956, Begum Hamidullah wrote a travelogue entitled Sixty Days in America, about her trip to the US as part