Salma Ataullahjan

Salma Ataullahjan was born in Mardan, Pakistan, in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Daughter of Saranjam Khan, a former Pakistani Senator, and Granddaughter of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (“Bacha Khan”), leader of a non-violent Muslim movement for independence from British rule, Salma attributes her political aspirations to the environment in which she grew up.

She arrived in Canada in the early 80s, settling in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). After more than 30 years in the GTA, she has made a lasting impression in the community because of her commitment and dedication to others. A natural consensus builder, Salma has been actively involved in several community organizations. Notably, in July 2021, she joined the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) as an honourary advisor.

Destined to follow in her family’s inspirational footsteps, Salma was appointed to the Canadian Senate in the summer of 2010 as a representative for the province of Ontario. As the first Canadian Senator of Pakistani origin, she stands for the ethnic diversity of all Canadians.

She is committed to issues affecting women and youth, having proposed several recognized studies in the Human Rights committee – one on women’s engagement in Afghanistan, another on cyberbullying of children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Syrian Refugee Resettlement in Canada.