Metro53 - MANCHESTER: Shoukat Ali, a former taxi driver originally from Kashmir, has been elected as the 128th Lord Mayor of Manchester, marking what members of the British Pakistani community described as a significant milestone.
Speaking after taking oath, Mr Ali called the occasion “one of the most emotional moments” of his life.
He said he hailed from the village of Batli in Kashmir and moved to Manchester at the age of 16 in search of better opportunities and a brighter future.
Mr Ali revealed that his mother had passed away a day earlier, leaving him unable to share the historic moment with her.
“I am saddened that my mother could not witness this important day in my life,” he said.
Born in Pakistan in 1965, Mr Ali initially worked in the textile industry before becoming involved in the furniture business and later running a small food outlet.
He also spent several years working as a licensed taxi driver in Manchester. During that period, he attended evening classes to learn English and later earned a diploma in Information Technology from City College Manchester, which he said opened new opportunities in his professional career.
His election has been widely welcomed by the local Pakistani and Kashmiri communities in the United Kingdom.
