All UK Parties Now Have Pakistani Leaders

[S_O_C_O_M]

All UK Parties Now Have Pakistani Leaders​

Chamber of the House of Lords

20. Nov, 2010

Three Muslims have made it to the House of Lords. This is a huge testament to the politics of inclusion in the UK that is now coming of age. All major political parties of Britain now have office holders with Pakistani heritage.

The head of the Conservative Party is a lady of Pakistani origins. Britain got it’s first ever Pakistani-origin woman as a full cabinet minister in the new coalition government, led by British Prime Minister David Cameron. Observers had dubbed Sayeeda Warsi’s dual appointments as a historic breakthrough for race relations and community cohesion in UK and a quantum move in British politics. The most influential Muslim woman in British politics, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was also made the Conservative Party (Tory Party) Chairperson.

The induction of Lord Tariq Ahmed and Lord Qurabn Hussain will be very help to the Muslims of Britain, as they truly support Muslim causes. Lord Noon supports India and the less said about him the better.

Tariq Ahmad is Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party (Cities). He was born and educated in London and currently as Director of Marketing & Corporate Strategy heads up Sucden’s marketing, corporate strategy and research areas. He also has executive responsibility for Russia and the CIS Region and heads up the firm’s fund divison. He is a member of Sucden Financial’s executive team and leads on all aspects of strategic development for the firm.

Qurban Hussain was born in Kashmir and came to live in England in 1971. He has lived in Luton since 1993. After moving to Luton, Qurban joined the Trade Union Movement and served as a Secretary for Luton TUC 1994-96. He has a long history of fighting for the rights of Kashmiri people to decide about the future of their country. Qurban strongly believes in international law to resolve international issues. He campaigned against the Iraq war and joined the Liberal Democrats on the day the Iraq war began, 20th March 2003. He has since been elected as a Lib Dem councillor.

Sir Gulam Noon, MBE, (born 1936) is a British businessman originally from India. He is of Rajput extraction. In March 2006 he came to wider notice as one of the businessmen embroiled in the “Cash for Peerages” scandal when it emerged that he had loaned £250,000 to the Labour Party (UK). He was given an MBE for services to the food industry in 1994 (under a Conservative government) and knighted in 2002. It was widely implied that Sir Gulam had been given a knighthood, and promised a further peerage, in return for lending money to and hosting fundraisers for the Labour Party.

LONDON (UK): Of the 54 new members appointed to the British Parliament upper House of Lords, three are South Asians including two of Pakistani heritage. They include businessman and ex-vice chairman of Conservative Party Tariq Ahmad, Qurban Hussain, deputy leader of Liberal-Democrat group on Luton Borough Council and Sir Gulam Noon, a leading businessman with Indian roots.

Other prominent personalities chosen to be the peers include former Chief of the General Staff, British Army, General Sir Richard Dannat and Rachael Heyhoe Flint, past captain of England women cricket team. The new appointments has raised the number of House of Lords to 794. Labour Party has 244 but the new additions will see the coalition government benches swell to 316 or 39 per cent of the total representation.

The new intake could also cost the British taxpayer up to 2.5m pounds a year, since each peer can claim up to 300 pounds for every day they attend, amounting to a maximum 43,500 pounds annually if the house sits for 145 days. Meanwhile, member Kashmir Council, Hameed Pothi has congratulated the three newly elevated Asian members of the House of Lords.In a statement Pothi said that this showed that South Asians particularly Muslims in Britain have a great contribution to make and their elevation at the highest level was a proof that their services to the British public life was considered vital.

Pothi hoped that the new peers will use their influence to work for the benefit of the community and the country and lauded the British system which rewarded those who worked diligently to make a difference to their country of origin. He said that the progress the immigrant communities were making proved that the immigration has actually benefited the UK.

He said more and more young people will take interest in British politics now having seen people from their own communities reach top level of politics.Pothi also appealed to the new peers to work even harder to raise awareness about the issue of Kashmir and lobby for the solution of the dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Lord Nazir Ahmed also welcomed the new appointments and expressed hope that their presence in the House will strengthen the voice of ethnic communities. However, the surprise omission was that of former Glasgow MP Muhammad Sarwar who was expected to be elevated to the upper house. He did not contest last May Parliamentary election but his Central Glasgow seat was won by his son Anas Sarwar.

All UK parties now have Pakistani leaders|Islamabad Globe

 

[Omar1984]

Good to know. I was impressed to see how large the Pakistani population has grown in the UK (in my last visit to the UK).


Pakistanis in the UK are like the Latin (Spanish) population we have in the United States (who are also growing in number in the U.S.) and have a strong presence in U.S. government and media now.

 

[muse]

I was impressed to see how large the Pakistani population has grown in the UK (in my last visit to the UK).


Pakistanis in the UK are like the Latin (Spanish) population we have in the United States (who are also growing in number in the U.S.) and have a strong presence in U.S. government and media now

or

Why is that a good thing? For example to what policy input by these so called leaders can one point at and suggest that it has served to bring peoples together or has lowered the degree of hostilities the ordinary English feel towards Muslims in the UK?

 

[Creder]

Stop taking pride in these sell-outs, After what their PM said about Pakistans these spineless cowards should have been on the streets instead they are licking English boots just like their ancestors did a 100 years ago.. Don't call them Pakistanis, we might be a nation in perill but we have enough pride left to still know what being a true Pakistani means


You might have posted this article as the usual d*** measuring contest that the Indians have going on in this forum but really it's not a matter of pride

 

[PakSher]

This is good for everyone. Our relations with the UK should improve further.

 

[foxbat]

How are they Pakistanis. I thought you have to be British to be elected to the Parliament in the UK

Or is it that the concept of focussing on the citizenship and not origins only applies when someone indulges in negative activities like blowing up stuff??

 

[TechLahore]

Foxbat, perhaps you didn't make it all the way to the end of the first paragraph.

"All major political parties of Britain now have office holders with Pakistani heritage."

And given your position, I take it you never refer to non-Pakistani nationals with Pakistani heritage as "Pakistanis" when they are implicated in a wrongdoing. That's good to know. Because otherwise you would just be a hypocrite, and I'm sure that's not the kind of person you are.

 

[Hyde]

so that means

Whomsoever wins....We are a ruling party

 

[Awesome]

or

Why is that a good thing? For example to what policy input by these so called leaders can one point at and suggest that it has served to bring peoples together or has lowered the degree of hostilities the ordinary English feel towards Muslims in the UK?

It can't be a bad thing in the overall consideration of trade-offs. I would say we can count on them for a vote on mutually beneficial trade pacts in the future, at least.

It's not like we are anywhere close to the point of establishing the "The West British Company" over there.

Generally I understand a lot of problems come from the Pakistani-Pana of people as well. The little street gangs, the organized Mullah clubs, the forced hijabbing of Pakistani girls in the UK - all things wrong no matter where you are. So the leaders would be stupid if they did not work towards fixing their flock along the way too.

I feel its a work in progress...

 

[true_indian]

Foxbat, perhaps you didn't make it all the way to the end of the first paragraph.

"All major political parties of Britain now have office holders with Pakistani heritage."

And given your position, I take it you never refer to non-Pakistani nationals with Pakistani heritage as "Pakistanis" when they are implicated in a wrongdoing. That's good to know. Because otherwise you would just be a hypocrite, and I'm sure that's not the kind of person you are.

Foxbat was replying to Creder, where he implied they should have taken to streets. For gods sake, they are British citizens first. They are born there..They shouldn't be representing Pakistan.. They might influence policy decisions to support Pakistan..But taking to streets as if they are Pakistani citizens would be illogical and would be booted out next time around..

 

[muse]

I would say we can count on them for a vote on mutually beneficial trade pacts in the future, at least.

What allows you think that such an eventuality is possible? After do nations make trade deals because we are "desi" or because of the deal is right for them?

See, the only way these people are "Pakistanis" is in an entirely UK context - they are still Pakistanis regardless of their position in their respective parties, in other words, they are cut outs, faces to pull in votes - but on which issue of importance to Pakistani English have these people delivered?

I don't know if I have been able to express exactly what they are, I don't want to use the word "token" because they are most certainly more than that, but whether they are politicians or policy gurus of special importance in the UK?, well, I don't know about that. It does help that they put a "inclusive" face on the politics of the UK, in which ethnic identity is not a thing of the past, neither is national origin, to use an Americanism.

 

[Hyde]

Foxbat, perhaps you didn't make it all the way to the end of the first paragraph.

"All major political parties of Britain now have office holders with Pakistani heritage."

And given your position, I take it you never refer to non-Pakistani nationals with Pakistani heritage as "Pakistanis" when they are implicated in a wrongdoing. That's good to know. Because otherwise you would just be a hypocrite, and I'm sure that's not the kind of person you are.

oh well... most of the councillors, MP's and Lords are dual nationals. They weren't born in UK... the majority of Pakistanis active in politics were born in Pakistan and later immigrated to UK. Politicians like Lord Nazir Ahmed, Sir Anwar Parvez, Rehman Chishti etc all were born in Pakistan and representing Pakistani community in the UK. In fact they have been raising voices on Kashmir issue in the parliament and the house of the lords more often than others... why? because they are technically still dual Nationals. You are right in your perspective but I find nothing to call them Pakistanis

UK is such a funny country... Even an asylum seeker can join a Police if certain criteria is met.

 

[foxbat]

Foxbat, perhaps you didn't make it all the way to the end of the first paragraph.

"All major political parties of Britain now have office holders with Pakistani heritage."

And given your position, I take it you never refer to non-Pakistani nationals with Pakistani heritage as "Pakistanis" when they are implicated in a wrongdoing. That's good to know. Because otherwise you would just be a hypocrite, and I'm sure that's not the kind of person you are.

Now you are talking like a lawyer. I was refering to the heading and not an passing reference in the end of the article.

And btw, I have no issues on them being called Pakistanis or Pakistani British or what ever name any one comes up with.

I was though surely refering to a lot of comments I have seen on this site by seniors like Asim, Agno etc where a Pakistani origin person when implicated/suspected of a terror connection is passed off as an American/British because he is no longer a citizen of Pakistan and his father/grandfather migrated to another country and now that country is responsible for his radicalization.

We should keep the same standards on both good and bad things.. Isnt it?

 

[TechLahore]

Yes we should. A couple of corrections though. No forum member wrote this article. And second, you mention "the end of the article". Actually the quote I provided is the end of the *first paragraph* of the article, i.e. right on top.

I think you will understand that for the purposes of making a headline brief, "Pakistani descent" or "Pakistani heritage" was shortened to Pakistani. However, the author qualified that in the first few sentences of the article.

So I don't really spot much of a double standard here, but let's just leave it at that.

 

[foxbat]

Yes we should. A couple of corrections though. No forum member wrote this article. And second, you mention "the end of the article". Actually the quote I provided is the end of the *first paragraph* of the article, i.e. right on top.

I think you will understand that for the purposes of making a headline brief, "Pakistani descent" or "Pakistani heritage" was shortened to Pakistani. However, the author qualified that in the first few sentences of the article.

So I don't really spot much of a double standard here, but let's just leave it at that.

I understand the need for brevity in the headings, but not when they make the heading factually incorrect. And we/mods do change the headings in here when they believe these are either factually incorrect or the contents of the heading are not proven (eg the affiliation of insurgents in Kashmir etc). Hence my earlier post. But I will leave it here since its gone too tangential now..

btw, I believe their being of Pakistani origin and not Pakistani citizens in no way lessens the pride/happiness Pakistanis should feel on their achievement. As they say, you can take a person out of his country but you can not take the country out of that person