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LONDON: Britain’s Attorney General Dominic Grieve plunged the ruling Conservatives party’s relations with more than a million strong Pakistani community into deep crisis as he singled out the Pakistani community because they “come from backgrounds where corruption is endemic”.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, while referring to Pakistanis, the Attorney General said that they (Pakistanis) “come from societies where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture”. The senior Tory figure spoke in reference to the recent cases of electoral fraud in Britain in which members of almost all communities – Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and the White communities – have been found involved in but he chose to attack only Pakistanis.
“One of the things you have to make absolutely clear is that is not the case and it’s not acceptable. As politicians, these are issues we need to pay some attention to.”
Grieve’s comments even surprised the interviewer who asked the AG if he was referring to the Pakistani community, Grieve replied: “Yes, it’s mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community.”
Corruption in parts of the Pakistani community is “endemic” and a growing problem that politicians have underestimated, Dominic Grieve, who is the Government’s chief legal adviser, said.
The Attorney General said ministers should “wake up” to the threat of corruption in public life, which he attributed to “minority communities” that operate a “favour culture”.
Mr Grieve said he was referring to “mainly the Pakistani community”. Fears grew that Grieve’s remarks could affect Britain’s relations with Pakistan.
Grieve said that he was “very optimistic” about the future of the UK, which he said had managed the integration of minority communities better than most countries in Europe.
The MP identified Slough, Berkshire, as an example of the type of electoral corruption that he was concerned about. Eshaq Khan, who was a Tory councillor there, was found guilty in 2008 of using bogus postal votes to ensure he was voted in.
Dominic Grieve’s comments will be used by the anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistani groups such as the English Defence League, British National Party (BNP) and other like-minded extreme right-wing groups to whip up hatred against Pakistanis. There are fears that attacks on Pakistanis and mosques could sharply increase following Dominic Grieve’s slanderous remarks about Pakistanis which made headlines on Saturday in papers and television.
Labour MP Kahlid Mahmood condemned the AG’s comments. Demanding an apology from the government, the Labour Party MP said it was unfortunate that the top government adviser had whipped up racial hatred against Pakistanis without any evidence. “Where is the proof that Pakistanis are corrupt? Who briefed Dominic Grieve on that? The Tory Party has next elections in mind. They are scared of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in next general elections. Other communities have been involved in corruption too but he has only attacked Pakistanis. It just shows that the Conservatives don’t care about Pakistanis. The AG has tried to divide and conquer within communities.”
Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, which studies integration migration and identity, said that problems of electoral corruption involving particular ethnic groups in constituencies appeared to be less of a problem than in the past. “If electoral fraud and malpractice of this type occurs then it should be thoroughly investigated, although on the whole we are probably seeing less of it.”
Katwala also said that recent research indicated that ethnic minority voters had a strong engagement with and high levels of trust in British democracy.
Qasim Afzal, a Liberal Democrat leader, said: “Mr Grieve has used loose language. I’m profoundly disturbed at a statement from such a senior Conservative MP against the British Pakistani community.”
Tory MEP Sajjad Karim, the party’s legal affairs spokesman in the European Parliament, hit out at Mr Grieve, calling his comments “offensive”.
He told the BBC: “As a member of the British Pakistani community myself, I found these comments to be offensive, divisive; I do think they were ill-advised and I’m afraid the very general way in which Dominic is trying to make the points that he is making will have the net effect of being seen as purely populist in nature.”
“But to try and generalise in this way and to paint all British Pakistani community members in a certain light, I’m afraid that is simply something that cannot be ignored and it is certainly not something that the British public at large will accept from Dominic at all.”
Outrage as UK’s Attorney General calls Pakistanis ‘corrupt’ - thenews.com.pk
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, while referring to Pakistanis, the Attorney General said that they (Pakistanis) “come from societies where they have been brought up to believe you can only get certain things through a favour culture”. The senior Tory figure spoke in reference to the recent cases of electoral fraud in Britain in which members of almost all communities – Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and the White communities – have been found involved in but he chose to attack only Pakistanis.
“One of the things you have to make absolutely clear is that is not the case and it’s not acceptable. As politicians, these are issues we need to pay some attention to.”
Grieve’s comments even surprised the interviewer who asked the AG if he was referring to the Pakistani community, Grieve replied: “Yes, it’s mainly the Pakistani community, not the Indian community.”
Corruption in parts of the Pakistani community is “endemic” and a growing problem that politicians have underestimated, Dominic Grieve, who is the Government’s chief legal adviser, said.
The Attorney General said ministers should “wake up” to the threat of corruption in public life, which he attributed to “minority communities” that operate a “favour culture”.
Mr Grieve said he was referring to “mainly the Pakistani community”. Fears grew that Grieve’s remarks could affect Britain’s relations with Pakistan.
Grieve said that he was “very optimistic” about the future of the UK, which he said had managed the integration of minority communities better than most countries in Europe.
The MP identified Slough, Berkshire, as an example of the type of electoral corruption that he was concerned about. Eshaq Khan, who was a Tory councillor there, was found guilty in 2008 of using bogus postal votes to ensure he was voted in.
Dominic Grieve’s comments will be used by the anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistani groups such as the English Defence League, British National Party (BNP) and other like-minded extreme right-wing groups to whip up hatred against Pakistanis. There are fears that attacks on Pakistanis and mosques could sharply increase following Dominic Grieve’s slanderous remarks about Pakistanis which made headlines on Saturday in papers and television.
Labour MP Kahlid Mahmood condemned the AG’s comments. Demanding an apology from the government, the Labour Party MP said it was unfortunate that the top government adviser had whipped up racial hatred against Pakistanis without any evidence. “Where is the proof that Pakistanis are corrupt? Who briefed Dominic Grieve on that? The Tory Party has next elections in mind. They are scared of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in next general elections. Other communities have been involved in corruption too but he has only attacked Pakistanis. It just shows that the Conservatives don’t care about Pakistanis. The AG has tried to divide and conquer within communities.”
Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, which studies integration migration and identity, said that problems of electoral corruption involving particular ethnic groups in constituencies appeared to be less of a problem than in the past. “If electoral fraud and malpractice of this type occurs then it should be thoroughly investigated, although on the whole we are probably seeing less of it.”
Katwala also said that recent research indicated that ethnic minority voters had a strong engagement with and high levels of trust in British democracy.
Qasim Afzal, a Liberal Democrat leader, said: “Mr Grieve has used loose language. I’m profoundly disturbed at a statement from such a senior Conservative MP against the British Pakistani community.”
Tory MEP Sajjad Karim, the party’s legal affairs spokesman in the European Parliament, hit out at Mr Grieve, calling his comments “offensive”.
He told the BBC: “As a member of the British Pakistani community myself, I found these comments to be offensive, divisive; I do think they were ill-advised and I’m afraid the very general way in which Dominic is trying to make the points that he is making will have the net effect of being seen as purely populist in nature.”
“But to try and generalise in this way and to paint all British Pakistani community members in a certain light, I’m afraid that is simply something that cannot be ignored and it is certainly not something that the British public at large will accept from Dominic at all.”
Outrage as UK’s Attorney General calls Pakistanis ‘corrupt’ - thenews.com.pk
