LONDON: Newly elected British-Pakistani Labour MP Naushabah Khan has said she decided to enter politics to fight for the causes of justice, inspired by her Pakistani father and his activism while he was alive.
Naushabah said Geo news:”The first call I received was from my phupho [father’s sister] “In Pakistan, immediately after my victory was announced, my relatives have been calling me non-stop to congratulate me. It's unbelievable.”
On 4 July, the Gillingham and Rainham seat turned red as Labour defeated the Conservatives, but the result in this seat was significant because the winner was Naushabah, whose parents are from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and her opponent was Rehman Chishti, who has won this seat since 2010 and who worked as an aide to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Naushabah polled 15,562 votes for Sir Keir Starmer's party, which won a landslide victory across the country, with Chisti, who had been an MP here since 2010, coming second with 11,590 votes.
The seat had been held by the Conservatives since 2010 but was a key target for Labour when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer launched the party's election campaign in Gillingham in May, with Naushabah at his side.
In 2019, Chishti, the son of a local imam whose parents hail from Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir, won the constituency for the Conservatives with a majority of 15,000 votes.
Asked how she felt about winning the seat against another politician of Pakistani descent, Naushabah told Geo News: “It was all about politics. People said they were fed up with the Conservative government, they had had enough. They said our healthcare system, economy, roads, schools and their lives were in shambles. They needed change and freedom from the inefficient rule of the Conservatives.”
Naushabah said most of her voters are English and voted for a woman of Pakistani descent to get rid of the nearly 15-year Conservative Party rule.
“My family is very happy. My phupho was the first to call me from Pakistan. My mother is still very emotional about my victory. My father died four years ago during COVID-19. He would be very happy and proud if he was still alive today. My mother is still in shock and excitement.”
Naushabah grew up listening to her father speak out about social justice causes. He stood up for what he believed was right and humane.
The newly elected MP said: “My values come from my father. He said it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. We weren't a wealthy family when we were children, but he instilled in us values of courage and hard work. He taught me to fight for justice, equality, fairness and to be a voice for the voiceless.”
“He told me that it doesn't matter where you come from or who you are, the only thing that matters is your effort to achieve your goals and live up to them. Those are the values that led me to politics.”
Naushabah appealed to the younger generation of Pakistanis, Muslims and Asians to join politics and take responsibility. She said: “This is our country. We belong here. The new generation generally thinks that politics is not working for them, but that is not true. They should come forward and find solutions and be part of the system.”
