[7] Fatima was born into the Jinnah family on 31 July 1893, the youngest of seven children to Jinnahbhai Poonja and his wife Mithibai, in Kathiawar, Gujarat, during the Bombay Presidency in British India.

[12] Upon Rattanbai's death in February 1929, she closed her clinic, moved into her brother Muhammad Ali's bungalow to care for her niece Dina Jinnah and took charge of his house.

[12] Although she never held political office, Fatima played an important role in supporting Muhammad Ali, particularly during his illness in 1943, which helped him continue his efforts toward the creation of Pakistan.

[18] On 11 August 1947, Fatima attended the first session of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan from the visitor's gallery, symbolising her unwavering support for Muhammad Ali, who was elected its president.

At a time when most Muslim women were confined to household work and not actively involved in politics, her leadership helped change this dynamic.

In 1947, during the Civil disobedience movement against the Unionist Government of Punjab Province, the women in Lahore, under her leadership, were involved in processions and courting arrests.

[18] In 1949, during a visit to the North-West Frontier Province, where provincialism and separatist sentiments had long been a concern, Fatima addressed a public gathering in Peshawar.

Similarly, in the polarizing Punjab elections of 1951, her message to the public was to "vote fearlessly for the right person; do not be cowed down by threats or lured by promises.

Speaking at a women's gathering in Multan in December 1951, she cautioned against provincialism, describing it as "the greatest danger to the stability of the state," and urged vigilance to prevent its spread.

[21] Her commitment to women's empowerment was evident in a speech delivered soon after the formation of the Punjab government under Mumtaz Daultana in 1951, where she proclaimed the "onward march towards emancipation and freedom of women" and noted their increasing participation in social, educational, and political activities, including roles as members of legislatures and the Constituent Assembly.

[22] In a 1953 Radio Pakistan broadcast on the death anniversary of Muhammad Ali, Fatima addressed the Kashmir issue, stating that "Under the leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam, 80 million Mussalmans got freedom from the clutches of two of the most powerful forces [British and Hindu].

[23] In the same broadcast, Fatima criticised the delays in drafting Pakistan's constitution and urged the Constituent Assembly to resolve not to disperse until its work was completed.

[24] In another message to the nation on Muhammad Ali's birthday in 1953, she addressed the people of East Bengal, urging them to safeguard unity and avoid disunity during the upcoming elections.

However, her endorsement failed to resonate with the electorate, as the Muslim League faced significant resentment in Bengal, particularly due to the national language controversy and the underrepresentation of Bengalis in civil and military institutions.

[24] In 1954, following the rout of the Muslim League in East Bengal's provincial elections, numerous appeals emerged urging Fatima to assume a leadership role.

A man from Karachi wrote, "A disconsolate nation turns to you as to a mother for solace… You alone can galvanize us once more into action and lead us along during the second stage of our march."

Similarly, a journalist from Dhaka implored her to accept the presidency of the Muslim League, calling her "the ablest person to lead and guide this organization.

Calls for her leadership resurfaced in 1955, with the Karachi Bar Association passing a resolution urging her "to come forward and actively lead the nation," and again in 1958, after the death of Muslim League President Abdul Rab Nishtar, when prominent women from the Provincial Assembly of West Pakistan requested her to assume the party's leadership.

A student from Rawalpindi, excited by the possibility of Fatima leading the Muslim League, urged her to reconsider her decision to decline the presidency for the sake of the country.

[27] In the 1960s, Fatima returned to the forefront of political life when she ran for the presidency of Pakistan as a candidate for the Combined Opposition Parties (COPP).

Her train, called the Freedom Special, was 22 hours late because men at each station pulled the emergency cord, and begged her to speak.

[29][failed verification] Being sister of her beloved brother, she was held in high esteem, and came to symbolize the democratic aspirations of the people.

Taking advantage of political opportunities, he brought all the discontented elements together to support him; students were assured the revision of the University Ordinance and journalists the scrutiny of the Press Laws.

[29][failed verification] She was backed by a consortium of political parties and won two of Pakistan's largest cities, Karachi and Dhaka.

[33] The U.S. magazine, Time, while reporting on the 1965 election campaign, wrote that Fatima faced attacks on her modesty and patriotism by Ayub and his allies.

The orthodox religious political parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami led by Maulana Maududi, which had repeatedly declared that a woman could not hold the highest office in a Muslim country, modified their stance and supported the candidature of Fatima.

The election showed that the people had no prejudice against women holding high offices, and they could be key players in politics of the country.

[38] According to Liaquat H. Merchant, "the Court was inclined to repose more trust in the avowed non-sectarian public stance of the Quaid and his sister".

Her nephew, Akbar Pirbhai, requested an inquiry, but after the provincial government took over the investigation, no official report was ever produced or made public.