Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): The Kashmiri expatriates city of Mirpur (AJK) secured another distinction after a UK-born young son of its soil clinched the great honour winning election to the office of the Mayor of the British city of Northampton Borough Council.
Councilor Nazim Iftkhar Choudary took over the historic position of the Mayor of Northampton Borough City Council in United Kingdom from Councillor Tony Ansell becoming the 779th person to hold the office, says a message released to the media here on Monday.
31-year old Nazim Iftkhar Choudary born in British Wakefield city of Yorkshire in 1988. He is the son of a Kashmiri expatriate Iftikhar Ahmed Choudhry – who had migrated from ancestral old Mirpur city in 1964 in the wake of the departure of thousands of the locals to the United Kingdom as a result of the great package of bright future offered by the government of Pakistan as a result of the construction of Mangla dam.
In a short span of time and due to the best of his abilities during hard-working in various positions for bread-earning, Iftikhar Ahmed Choudhry established his position in the society being a man of high intellect because of his active role in social and political quarters for the welfare and uplift of the local community. It could be assessed through the fact that Iftikhar Choudhry also secured various identical positions including as Justice for Peace and Councilor of the same city Northampton Borough Council for more than four times so far.
The newly-elected Mayor of Northampton Borough Council Nazim Iftkhar Choudary is the paternal grand-son of Muhammad Hanif Chaudhry, veteran social and political personality of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and former Chairman of Mirpur Development Authority, currently also holding the office of Member Governing Body of the Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust -run Mega KORT Educational and Rehabilitation Complex, South Asia’s largest Center in Mirpur, housing over 400 orphan and shelter less children of different ages belonging to various parts of Pakistan and AJK including hundreds of those rendered orphan loosing their parents in deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005 that had hit bulk of Azad Jammu & Kashmir besides adjoining KPK province.
The first official meeting of the new Northampton Borough Council this afternoon saw the new Mayor Nazim Iftkhar Choudary crowned for the city, the message said.
While taking over the office Councillor Choudary said : “I am hugely honoured, excited and humbled to become the 779th Mayor of Northampton. I am also incredibly proud to have my mother Maroof Iftikhar as my Mayoress.
“I have chosen The Lowdown as the charity I will support during my Mayoral year.
“The charity provides vital support services to children and young adults in Northamptonshire. My aim is to help increase awareness of these crucial services and to raise much needed funds to ensure the service continue in the future.”
The leaders and deputy leaders of the three political parties for the upcoming year were also confirmed this morning at The Guildhall.
For the vast majority of the members, they are now entering an unexpected fifth year in office following the postponement of the borough council elections this year by Westminster, ahead of the local government reorganization that will take place in 2021.
The meeting began with the ‘Mayor Making’ which sees Cllr Choudary, a Labour member for the St David’s ward, become the ‘first citizen’ of Northampton. As well as being a ceremonial role, he will also chair all the full council meetings for the upcoming year.
The incoming Deputy Mayor will be Councillor Brian Sargeant, and his Deputy Mayoress will be his fiancée Ray Kelly.
As well as the Mayor Making ceremony, the meeting saw the confirmation of the appointments to the council’s various committees, the leaders and deputies of each of the three main parties, and the confirmation of the cabinet.
Councillor Jonathan Nunn will remain leader of the Conservatives and the council, with Cllr Phil Larratt as his deputy. Labour will be led by Councillor Danielle Stone and her deputy Cllr Jane Birch, while Cllr Sally Beardsworth will head up the three Liberal Democrat councillors alongside Cllr Dennis Meredith.
The Northampton borough council’s cabinet will be comprising all local Britishers with the following portfolios which include:- Cllr Jonathan Nunn (leader of the council), Cllr Phil Larratt (deputy leader), Cllr Stephen Hibbert (housing and wellbeing), Cllr Tim Hadland (regeneration and enterprise), Cllr James Hill (deputy cabinet member for planning), Cllr Mike Hallam (environment), Cllr Anna King (community engagement and safety), Cllr Brandon Eldred (finance), the message concludes. Ends