Sultana Siddiqui

Sultana Siddiqui (Sindhi: سلطانه صديقي), also known as Sultana Apa (سلطانہ آپا), is a Pakistani media mogul, television director, and producer who is the founder of Hum Network Limited.

Siddiqui is an active director of Hum Network Limited and the president of Hum Network Limited. By virtue of that she became the first woman in Pakistan to establish a TV station.

Early life Sultana was born in Hyderabad, Sindh, into a Sindhi qazis (Muslim judges) family living there, Sultana being the seventh of ten children. She received her early education from government schools in Hyderabad.

"Siddiqui was a tomboy. She would climb trees, challenge bullies and at times play truant. People who know her from those heady days say that she was the undisputed leader of kids in the neighbourhood".

Her brother, Mazhar-ul-Haq Siddiqui, was a civil servant and also served as the Board of director of Hum Network Limited died in February 2026.

Career 1970s-1980s: Early work as actress and director-producer Sultana started her career from PTV as a producer in Karachi in 1974. She is the only woman in Asia who started or owned a TV channel.

As a director, she remained inactive for ten years before her latest drama serial Zindagi Gulzar Hai (2012-2013), which is a romantic drama focusing on women, portraying equality of the girl child and importance of a career for women. a critically acclaimed serial that has been praised for "breaking the ice across the borders of Pakistan and India in current times" featuring Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed. Sultana has won numerous awards, including the Best Producer of a Drama Serial, Best Producer of a Music Production, the Hazrat Khadijat ul Kubra Award, Women of Vision Award, Nigar Award, the Gold Medal Award, Sindh Graduates Association Award,

Pride of Performance Award from the Government of Pakistan in 2008.

PTV Award for 'Best Production' in 1981. In July 2025, Sultana Siddiqui was honored at the 48th Annual Convention of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) in Dallas, Texas. She received the APPNA Women Empowerment Award 2025, recognizing her contributions to women's empowerment and her leadership in the media industry. In August 2025, Sultana Siddiqui was conferred an honorary doctorate by Buckinghamshire New University (UK) in recognition of her contributions to media, women's empowerment, and public service. The degree was presented during a ceremony in UK, where university and diplomatic representatives praised her pioneering leadership as a media entrepreneur and her impact on cultural representation and female mentorship.

Other work Public speaking As a public speaker, Sultana has spoken on many local and international platforms, including the 2013 US Islamic World Forum

Karachi Film Society Siddiqui founded the Karachi Film Society (KFS) in 2017. The nonprofit society hosts seminars, workshops, and festivals to promote film and drive the Pakistani film industry in new and creative ways. KFS is also the parent body of the Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF).

Fashion In 2018, Sultana Siddiqui collaborated with Zac Chaudhri from the University of The Arts London to produce the first set of books on Pakistani Fashion to be held in a major western Arts university library. The books are titled Fashion Uncovered and are an introduction to Pakistani Fashion.

New talent discoveries on television Sultana Siddiqui is credited for first discovering:

Abida Parveen, noted Pakistani folk singer 1993 Marvi 1997 Yeh Zindagi 2003 Shayad Kay Bahar Aaye 2004 Anjaane Raaste 2012 Zindagi Gulzar Hai

Mann Jogi