It is greatness to work hard in hard times.
The effortless chest never gave fame … !!!
Written by Muhammad Zeeshan Qureshi;
All the springs and achievements of human life depend on struggle and hard work. From the fertile soil of heaven and earth, many personalities were born who not only brighten the name of his country in the region but also in other countries of the world including Pakistan. United Kingdom which is called the mother of democracy, even today, people progress in various fields and achieve a prominent position on the basis of merit, ability and capability. While there are people of British descent in the British Parliament and Lord’s House, where many men and women from Pakistan and Kashmir are also reaching the Parliament by working hard in the politics of local British parties. In addition to the central government in the UK, the local government system is strong and effective. Similarly, in various city councils and towns here, the descendants of Pakistan and Kashmir are reaching out to councilors, mayors and lord mayors in the local community and politics with hard work and talent. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, the second council, is a Muslim, Pakistani, and Kashmiri descent. Lord Mayor Asghar Khan Qureshi, son of a working father who loves education and knowledge, living in Islamgarh AJK, a backward area of ??Kashmir region, demonstrated his hard work, efforts and abilities in British politics day and night, has been selected as the Mayor of Leeds which is the second biggest council in the UK.
Leeds Council is the second largest city council in the UK after London. In the UK local government system, councilors are elected by direct vote from the wards on the party basis. In any town or city council, the majority of the elected councilors are elected as party mayor, lord mayor and deputy mayor. Leeds is the oldest city in the United Kingdom to have had the status of a town , who had elected mayor. Two centuries ago, Leeds was given the status of City Council in 1842 and its first Lord Mayor was elected in 1842. For the first time in two centuries, a Pakistani-born Muslim Lord Mayor of Leeds was elected in 2006. Mayor Asghar Qureshi has been elected the second Muslim Lord Mayor.
Leeds City Council has 33 wards and 99 councilors. Of these, only 9 are councilors of Pakistani / Kashmiri origin. Asghar Khan Qureshi arrived in the UK in 1980. Due to difficult circumstances in Pakistan, he could not study beyond primary school. His father Muhammad Nazir Quraishi worked in a steel mill and took extra time (overtime) to take Asghar Khan to the next academic session here through special tuition. And at the same time he met the household needs too. He also pursued higher education at the behest of his father and then became part of the British Royal Mail 30 years ago. In addition to his job as a postman at the Royal Mail, he also played a leading role in trade union politics. In the UK, trade unions are very dynamic and have a strong system. Lord Mayor Asghar Qureshi made his name and position in the British Labor Party by doing trade union politics. He entered politics in 2001 as a member of the Labor Party. He was elected a councilor for the first time in 2011. After winning the councilor seat for the last ten years, he also won the election of Lord Mayor two years ago.
Today, 30 years have passed since the death of his father Mohammad Nazir Qureshi, but the world is seeing the fruits of his hard work in the form of his son’s great success. While his mother will be overjoyed at the swearing in ceremony, the soul of his late father will also be relieved. Only he was allowed to attend the ceremony, but he refused to take the oath without his mother, after which the administration showed flexibility and the mother was also allowed to attend the ceremony. In his first speech as Lord Mayor, Asghar Qureshi highlighted the hard work of parents, especially the late father.
This great achievement of Lord Mayor Asghar Qureshi, who came here from a backward area and faced difficult circumstances, is a great honor not only for his family, relatives, but also for the Pakistani and Kashmiri community in the UK, including the region and Azad Kashmir. There is no atmosphere of politics tainted with communities, region and prejudice in the style of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. Achieving a great status needs hard work is a difficult step in British politics.
Performance and hard work are paramount here. Elections are not fought on the basis of wealth, communities, region and interests, but on the part of those who work hard for the people and show their abilities in the parties. A clear example of this is Lord Mayor Asghar Khan Qureshi from Azad Kashmir Islamgarh (Dhala) who came here due to his hard work and performance. In addition, there are several Pakistani and Kashmiri-origin councilors, mayors and members of parliament in the UK. Other members of Lord Mayor Asghar Qureshi’s family also made a name for themselves in business and politics in Azad Kashmir and the UK. Muhammad Afzal Qureshi, the uncle of Lord Mayor Asghar Qureshi, is not only a successful businessman but also a prominent industrialist of Azad Kashmir and a prominent figure of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As well as being a seasoned industrialist, he is also a social leader and a prominent political figure in Mirpur district. Sajid Qureshi, a central vice-president from the Pakistan People’s Party platform in the UK, is one of the prominent figures in the overseas community. Sajid Qureshi played an active role for the PPP in the UK and is currently the Central Vice President of the PPP in the UK.
During his visit to the United Kingdom, (the writer) visited Leeds Council yesterday at the invitation of Lord Mayor Asghar Qureshi. PPP Central Vice President Sajid Qureshi and Yasir Arafat Qureshi were also present on the occasion. He gave a detailed briefing on other historical issues of India. The Lord Mayor presented to the writer of those piece with an honorary certificate from Leeds Council and a Leeds official monogrammed badge. At the end of the Council’s detailed visit, a sumptuous dinner was hosted by the Lord Mayor at the famous Pakistani Restaurant (Agra Restaurant) in Leeds.
