Zaheerul Hassan
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AS Chairperson of Britains Conservative Party and the minister without portfolio in David Camerons newly formed cabinet, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, 39, is the first Muslim and Briton of South Asian origin to attain this high position.
NEWSWEEK PAKISTANS Nick Jackson spoke with her recently about immigration, the global war on terror, and the challenges of rooting out homegrown terrorists. Excerpts:
Former prime minister Gordon Brown once said that 70 percent of all terror plots in Britain had footprints in Pakistan. Do you agree?
Pakistan is going to be one of our foreign policy priorities, and its absolutely essential for our own security and success that Pakistan is secure and successful. I cannot comment on Gordon Browns approach. Clearly, [his] approach is one that I do not agree with on many, many levels.
Some argue that the Tory manifesto is anti-immigration. How does this reconcile with your own personal success and history?
Britain must do what is right for it as a country, and 50 years ago, when there was a need for Britain to have unskilled migrant workers, my father, and many others from Pakistan and the subcontinent, came here to make a better life for themselves, and make a better economy for Britain. But when we have five million people here on out-of-work benefits, then clearly, the initial need is to ensure that British people are encouraged to take those jobs. It would be wrong to ask people from other countries to come in.
Is language testing for immigrants seeking to marry Britons necessary?
It is wrong for any person to come in from overseas without speaking the language of the country youre wishing to join. Thats wrong not just for the people of this country, but also for the person whos coming to this country because they will not be able to ... be engaged in terms of employment, health, and schooling.
NEWSWEEK PAKISTANS Nick Jackson spoke with her recently about immigration, the global war on terror, and the challenges of rooting out homegrown terrorists. Excerpts:
Former prime minister Gordon Brown once said that 70 percent of all terror plots in Britain had footprints in Pakistan. Do you agree?
Pakistan is going to be one of our foreign policy priorities, and its absolutely essential for our own security and success that Pakistan is secure and successful. I cannot comment on Gordon Browns approach. Clearly, [his] approach is one that I do not agree with on many, many levels.
Some argue that the Tory manifesto is anti-immigration. How does this reconcile with your own personal success and history?
Britain must do what is right for it as a country, and 50 years ago, when there was a need for Britain to have unskilled migrant workers, my father, and many others from Pakistan and the subcontinent, came here to make a better life for themselves, and make a better economy for Britain. But when we have five million people here on out-of-work benefits, then clearly, the initial need is to ensure that British people are encouraged to take those jobs. It would be wrong to ask people from other countries to come in.
Is language testing for immigrants seeking to marry Britons necessary?
It is wrong for any person to come in from overseas without speaking the language of the country youre wishing to join. Thats wrong not just for the people of this country, but also for the person whos coming to this country because they will not be able to ... be engaged in terms of employment, health, and schooling.
