Begum Akhtar Riazuddin

Begum Akhtar Riazuddin also spelt Riaz-ud-din or Riaz-ud-deen (15 October 1928 – 11 January 2023) was a Pakistani feminist activist who was also the first modern Urdu-travelogue writer. She received many awards in recognition of her efforts.

Life and family Akhtar Jahan Begum was born in Calcutta on 15 October 1928. She graduated from Kinnaird College, Lahore, in 1949, and did her MA in English from Government College, Lahore, in 1951.

Begum Akhtar Riazuddin died in Karachi on 11 January 2023, at the age of 94.

Literary career Begum Riazuddin's literary career is based on two travelogues, ‘Dhanak Par Qadam’ (1969) and ‘Sat Samundar Par’ (1963). In her travelogues, she uses unique similes and humorous allusions, along with satirical comments. Her writings are simple as well as interesting. She worked as federal secretary of the Ministry of Women's Development in the late 1980s.

Other occupations Other than being a teacher, she remained a member of the All Pakistan Music Conference Committee from 1957 to 1965. She also participated in the First All Pakistan Handicrafts Exhibition in Lahore in 1965.