The United Kingdom is edging closer to the general elections which will be conducted later this year.
A record number of British Pakistanis have a chance of becoming a member of the British Parliament this year. Reportedly, Conservative, Labor, and Liberal Democrats Party have given tickets to more than 70 candidates with a Pakistani background. Besides, a significant number of British Pakistanis are competing in Independent capacity as well.
Although the majority of the candidates belong to the Conservative Party, political analysts say their chances of winning are slender.
Candidates from the Conservative Party
- Chancellor Sajid Javed from Bromsgrove in Warwickshire.
- Nusrat Ghani, the former Transport Minister. She also holds the record for being the first-ever British Pakistani woman from the Conservative Party to reach the House of Commons.
- Rehman Chishti, PM’s special advisor on religious freedom.
- Saqib Bhatti, current president of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. He is the first Muslim and youngest Pakistani to hold the office.
Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Ahmad-Khan, Mohammad Afzal, Kashif Ali, and Amjad Bashir are competing on the Conservative Party’s ticket as well.
Conservative Party has given tickets to Noshaba Khilji and Ali Azeem from the Greater London region. Mussadak Mirza, Atiffa Shah, Tayyab Amjad, and Attika Chaudhary are representing Conservative Party from the Greater Manchester region.
Wasim Mughal, Haroun Malik, Pervaiz Akhtar, and Ahmed Ejaz are also vying for a seat in the Parliament.
Candidates from Labor Party
Khalid Mahmood is the senior-most Muslim British Pakistani Parliamentarian to be given Labor Party’s ticket.
Shabana Mahmood, Yasmeen Qureshi, Naz Shah, Imran Hussain, Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan, Afzal Khan, Faisal Rashid, and Mohammed Yasin are also hopeful to win their seats for Labor party.
Tahir Ali, Zarat Sultana, Azhar Ali, Khalil Ahmed, Zahid Chauhan, Nabila Ahmed, Faiza Shaheen, Marina Ahmed, Ahmed Nawaz Wattoo, and Safia Ahmed are competing for the first time in elections.
Candidates from Liberal Democrats Party
Liberal Democrats Party has chosen a total of 12 candidates of Pakistani origin. No British Pakistani has made it through to the Parliament for Liberal Democrats.
The Liberal Democrats’ candidates are Hina Bokhari, Humaira Ali, Dr Tariq Mahmood, Khalil Yusuf, Ayesha Mir, Saleyha Ahsan, Waheed Rafiq, Kamran Hussain, Javed Bashir, Zuffar Haq, Hina Malik, and Fayzan Rehman.
Other Parties
The anti-Europe Brexit Party has fielded Dr. Ahmed Malik, Danyaal Raja, Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Waqas Ali Khan, and Waj Ali for the next month’ elections.
Green Party has selected Shahab Adris, Dr. Reza Hassan, Ty Akram, and Talia Hussain as candidates for the general elections.
Kamran Malik and Humera Malik are representing Communities Party. While Hassan Zulkifl from Communities Party and Hamza Yousaf from Scottish National Party are also eyeing a place in the British Parliament.
Independents
Azfar Shah Bukhari, Yasin Rehman, Mohammed Ashraf, Irum Altaf Kiyani, Rizwan Ali Shah, Haseeb ur Rehman, Mohammed Ali Bhatti are competing in an independent capacity.
The elections will be held on 13th December 2019.
Via: The News
The elections are held on the 12th