Uzma Gul, daughter of Lt. Gen (R) Hamid Gul, is a prominent entrepreneur of Pakistan. She is famous for heading the renowned urban bus service , Varan Tours, in the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad.
Uzma Gul, being the daughter of Lt. Gen. (r) Hamid Gul, was groomed in a political environment and has strong political views on various issues of national and international standing. She came into the limelight in March 2007 when country-wide protests began against the illegal removal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. She actively participated in the cause for the independence of judiciary.
Born on 16 August 1964 in Quetta, Uzma Gul used to be a very naughty, restless and hyperactive child and the word 'tomboy' would best describe her exuberant childhood. She spent her childhood all over Pakistan due to her father's postings and had to frequently change schools. On this she says "I'm a child from everywhere and yet nowhere". She has fond memories of her childhood especially the time that she spent on her father's postings in Jhelum and Multan. Uzma Gul completed her intermediate from CB College Rawalpindi after which she immediately got married to her cousin. During her married life she completed her graduation from Punjab University.
In 1991, Uzma Gul started an intercity bus company by the name of Varan Tours from Sargodha to Rawalpindi. As time passed on she also ventured into the business of import and export, mainly pharmaceuticals, wool and beverages. Uzma Gul gained prominence as an important figure when she started a project of public welfare the urban bus service, Varan Tours, in the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad. She is acclaimed for being the only woman to run a transport operation of such a large scale in an exclusive domain of males. Many NGOs and social institutions including the British Council and UNDP recognized her efforts in greatly enhancing women mobility and making the urban transport a respectable and reliable mode of conveyance in Pakistan.
Uzma Gul draws inspiration from Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatir Mohammad, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and her own father. She dotes on the work of Allama Iqbal and urges the youth to study his work as they truly reflect the meaning of the Quran and Hadith. She believes that Pakistan came into being through a revolution based on a unique ideology and that revolution will be completed when Pakistan will become a modern Islamic state. However, she feels that the lack of democracy, justice and strong institutions are the main impediments towards development and prosperity. She is a strong patriot who believes in true independence and sovereignty of Pakistan. She also believes that Pakistan's location is of extreme geo-political importance and Pakistan can play an important role in international politics.
Uzma Gul has been actively involved in social work. She led a large-scale relief operation for the victims of the earthquake of Oct 2005. The highlight of this was when she setup a temporary hospital in Rawalakot that provided free-of-charge health care for 6 months. She has helped many prisoners in their release who had been unable to make payments for the penalties imposed upon them. She has also helped in providing facilities and improving the living conditions of the prisoners of Jhelum Jail.
Reading is her passion. She is an avid reader of a large number of newspapers which include 'Dawn', 'The News', 'Nawa-e-Waqt' and 'Express'. She especially enjoys reading the columns, editorials, and articles. She has read English, French and Russian classics besides Urdu Literature. Her favorites include Naseem Hijazi, Mushtaq Yusfi, Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Ashfaq Ahmad and Bano Qudsia, Charles Dickens, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Maupassant, and Solzhenitsyn.
She enjoys listening to music. Some of her favorites are K.L. Sehgal, Khurshid Begum, Fareeda Khanum, Kanan Bala and Iqbal Bano. Among the new ones, she admires Atif Aslam, Ahmed Jahanzeb and Jal.
She is a good swimmer and fond of water sports. She enjoys watching tennis. Her favourite tennis players are Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova.
She is a pet lover and very fond of cats. She is a passionate environmentalist and has an avid interest in organic farming.
Uzma Gul is the eldest of four. She has two brothers and a sister (late). Her husband was a fighter pilot in the PAF and is now her business partner as well. She is a mother of two sons. Her elder son is married and is a banker by profession while the younger son after completing his undergraduate studies is working with coca cola International.
