LONDON: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Pakistani dry-cleaner Jamil Ahmed has said that politicians in Pakistan knowingly mislead the public by giving examples of how politicians in Britain live a simple life and do everything with their own hands.
Jamil Ahmed said the former British Prime Minister and his wife Cherie Blair send their clothes to him for dry-cleaning on regular basis. “I receive their suits, duvets, bed sheets, socks and other items for dry cleaning and ironing and I have been providing them service for many years. This impression is wrong that politicians in Pakistan live a luxury while politicians in England live a life of simplicity.”
Jamil Ahmed’s dry-cleaning shop is on Crawford Street, near Edgware Road. Tony Blair lives around 7 minutes away from his shop on the other side of Edgware Road. He has been living there for over a year and permanent security is stationed outside his house after threats to him grew the Iraq war.
“Tony Blair has a full time staff working for him at home and abroad. They are responsible for his dry cleaning to maintain his household and everything else. That’s the case with most other British politicians and professionals from showbiz and media. Politicians from Labour and Tory come to me all the time and they get even their socks dry-cleaned and ironed. They are very conscious about their image and persona,” said the tailor who came to work in London from Jhelum several years ago and now lives in Ilford, east London, with his family.
Jamil Ahmed said that Tony Blair has always been very nice to him. “He knows I am a Pakistani and Muslim. On Eid and other occasions, he makes sure to congratulate us and extends good wishes. He once told me he regarded Pakistanis very highly and appreciated their contribution to public life in Britain. He has been generous and kind.”
Jamil Ahmed said he gets laundry from the former prime minister’s house every week for dry-cleaning and mostly it’s his staff who pick and drop the laundry.
Jamil said he has been watching Pakistani politicians giving examples of politicians in Britain. “I have not seen that simplicity here. Politicians here have a different level and style of luxury and they enjoy it more than Pakistani politicians do. Politicians get themselves making tea and doing their laundry for media and that’s for publicity only. Reality is quite different.”
Jamil Ahmed shared that until a few years ago, dry-cleaning business was dominated by Jews and Turks in London but in the last few years Pakistanis have bought lots of businesses from Jews who have moved on to other professions. “Jews and Turks are still doing dry-cleaning, laundry and tailoring but in London its Pakistanis who are leading. This business, at least in London, is now dominated by Pakistanis. Many of them, mainly from Jhelum, have been doing this business for over four decades. Their children have taken over these businesses.”
He said that Lady Diana used to get her clothed dry-cleaned from Pakistani dry-cleaner Altaf Hussain. “He has been providing services to quite big names in London. PTI’s key figure in London Afzaal Mahmood owns dozens of laundry business in London and has been dealing with high profile clients and five star hotels. There are many other Pakistanis who are doing very well.”
