By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: The Quaid-e-Azam House Museum (QAHM) Institute of Nation Building hosted a thought-provoking talk titled “Quaid to Camera: The <a href="https://middleeastdaily.net/mercato-takes-media-on-a-magical-summer-journey-with-the-grand-comedy-circus-and-dubai-summer-surprises-celebrations/”>Media’s Role in Nation Building” at Flagstaff House today. The session featured Sultana Siddiqui, Chairperson of HUM Network, who shared her personal journey and insights on media, leadership, and national progress.
The event began with a welcome address by Liaquat Merchant, Senior Vice Chairman of QAHM. Ameena Saiyid, Member, Board of Governors, QAHM, introduced the speaker. Ikram Sehgal, Vice Chairman of QAHM, delivered the concluding remarks.
Addressing a packed audience, Ms
Siddiqui spoke about how she was deeply inspired by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision for education and women’s empowerment. Drawing from her decades of experience in television, she recounted her decision to resign from PTV and establish her own production company — named Moomal after her daughter-in-law — at a time when few women ventured into media entrepreneurship.
She captivated the audience as she described the challenges of building a television network in a male-dominated industry, and the many voices that discouraged her and advised her to continue with her production company, and not establish a TV channel. Defying the odds, Sultana Siddiqui went on to become the first woman in South Asia to own and lead a television network, a milestone that has made her a true gamechanger in Pakistani media.
The event was attended by prominent personalities including Khushbakht Shujat, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Azad Iqbal — grandson of Allama Iqbal, Khurshid Hyder, Nasreen Jalil, Nargis Rahman, Ghazi and Sadeqa Salahuddin, Mushtaq Chhapra, and other distinguished guests from academia, media, and civil society.
The talk underscored the vital role of media in shaping public discourse, preserving cultural identity, and advancing the Quaid’s vision of a progressive, inclusive Pakistan.