UK looking forward to working with new Pak govt: Sajid

BIRMINGHAM: British Home Secretary Sajid Javed has said that Britain is looking forward to working with the new government in Pakistan on its priorities.

Javed said so while speaking at a fringe event organised by Conservative Friends of Pakistan during the Conservative Party’s annual conference here in Birmingham. The fringe event is organised by the CFoP every year during the party conference.

"Everyone I met in Pakistan is proud of me being the Home Secretary of the UK," he told the audience, sharing the love and respect he received during his recent visit to Pakistan.

"What was unusual that everywhere I went and everyone I met from the new Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to his other ministers, to the Governor of Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, to the young girls I met at a high school in Islamabad, they all shared one thing with me was how proud they were that a British Home Secretary of Pakistani heritage was in their country with them."

The Home Secretary said that like his father, many others of that generation came to the UK from Pakistan in search of a better future and their successes make them feel proud.

Talking about what it feels like being a Home Secretary of Pakistani heritage, he said: "It would have made my father proud too. All those years ago when he left Pakistan to come and settle in this great country to become British, but always keeping in his heart a special place for Pakistan, as I do, and I know you would be very proud to think that his son was born in Britain because he made that decision like so many of you here and many of you will be the second, or may be the third, generation of Pakistani immigrants. And you will be proud that you can go back to Pakistan and be there representing Britain."

Javed further said that being at this place where he is today was only possible because he was a member of the Conservative Party as this is the only political party which provides opportunities not because of who or what you are, or what your religion or background is, but only because of your hard work.

Appreciating the work of CFoP, he said: "We at least love three things together there may be more but I think of three i.e we love Britain, we love Pakistan and we love the Conservative Party."

Speaking to Geo News at the event, Javed said, "I had an excellent visit to Pakistan. It is a really good opportunity to strengthen our ties together. Britain has fantastic relations with Pakistan and with a new government there we are looking forward to working with them, including on their priorities."

In his welcoming remarks, renowned businessman and the CFoP Chairman Zameer Chaudhry thanked the party chairman, the Home Secretary and the Communities Secretary as well as other dignitaries and party supporters. He told the audience that CFoP is working like a bridge between Pakistani community in the UK and the Conservative Party.

Chaudhry said, "The idea is to encourage young people to get involved in politics and put their name forward in the elections, be it the local elections or the national. We already have three conservative members of parliament who are of Pakistani heritage. First is the Home Secretary Sajid Javed, who’s one of the most powerful politicians in the government and who should be a role model for all the youth in the UK. Then there is Nusrat Ghani, Minister for Transport and Maritime and of course my friend Rehman Chishti who currently is the vice chair of the party as well as Prime Minister’s special trade envoy to Pakistan. All three of them have key positions in the government and I hope and encourage all our youngsters to join the Conservative Party because it is the right party for opportunity, for hope and for aspirations. This will help to highlight the issues of Pakistani community so that they could be addressed by the government." Baroness Nosheena Mobarik MEP told the audience that now the British-Pakistani community is well established in the UK and their role in politics is increasing day by day.

"CFoP like is doing a fantastic job of building bridges engaging with the host community and we need more of that. It’s about engagement, getting to know each other, understanding each other, we can only understand that by getting together and speaking to each other," said Baroness Mobarik, who is currently on a leave from Lords to serve as a member of European Parliament from Scotland.

CFoP’s Director West Midlands, Mohammad Afzal said, "We are trying to engage the British-Pakistani youth in West Midlands as this is a very important region for the Conservative Party. It’s our vision to get our youth ready to contest in the local as well as national politics. The Home Secretary who is also from this region is a great role model for them."

Also present at the reception were the Vice Chairman of CFoP Syed Qamar Raza, Director Membership Aliya Afzal Khan, Director Corporate Fiazan Tahir, Director Ahmereen Raza and Treasurer Shakir Elahi.