Bashir Maan, first Muslim elected as councillor in UK, passes away

LONDON: Rich tributes were paid to veteran British-Pakistani politician Bashir Maan who passed away in Glasgow on Friday morning aged 93. Born in 1926 in Qila Didar Singh, a town near Gujranwala city in Pakistan, he was elected as a councillor from Glasgow way back in 1970. Bashir was the first Muslim politician to be elected to an office.

Bashir completed his school education in Qila Didar Singh before moving to Labour where he worked as a clerk. He was also part of the Pakistan’s independence struggle from 1943-1947. After the patrician in 1947 he moved to the UK in 1953 and lived in Scottish city of Glasgow all his life.

Before becoming a councillor he also served as a Justice of Peace for Glasgow, the first Asian & Muslim to be appointed in that position. Subsequently he was elected as councillor from Glasgow city in 1970 on Labour Party’s ticket.

A party he represented for the next 33 years till he left Labour in 2004 over parties misleading Iraq War policies. Such was the significance of his victory that then Indian High Commissioner wrote a letter to congratulate him on this achievement and marked the occasion proud and happy as he was the first immigrant to be elected as councillor in Scotland.

Bashir Maan was also the first British-Pakistani to stand in a general elections in 1974 from East Fife. He was a life-long advocate of Human Rights and community cohesion, in the recognition of his services towards race relations, community work and as a volunteer he was awarded CBE.