Two of Pakistani origin appointed to House of Lords
LONDON: Of the 54 new members appointed to the British Parliament Upper House of Lords, three are South Asians including two of Pakistani origin.
They include businessman and former vice chairman of the Conservative Party, Tariq Ahmad, said to belong to the Ahmedi community; Qurban Hussein, deputy leader of the Liberal-Democrat group on Luton Borough Council and Sir Ghulam Noon, a leading businessman with Indian roots.
Other prominent personalities chosen to be the peers, include former chief of the General Staff, British Army; General Sir Richard Dannat and Rachael Heyhoe Flint, former captain of the England women cricket team.
The new appointments have raised the number of the House of Lords to 794. The Labour Party has 244 members, but the new additions will see the coalition government benches swell to 316 or 39 percent of the total representation.
The new intake could also cost the British taxpayer up to 2.5 million pounds a year, since each peer can claim up to 300 pounds for every day they attend, amounting to a maximum 43,500 pounds annually if the house sits for 145 days.
Meanwhile, member, Kashmir Council and central leader of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Peoples Muslim League, Hameed Pothi has congratulated the three newly elevated Asian members of the House of Lords. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\21\story_21-11-2010_pg7_14
LONDON: Of the 54 new members appointed to the British Parliament Upper House of Lords, three are South Asians including two of Pakistani origin.
They include businessman and former vice chairman of the Conservative Party, Tariq Ahmad, said to belong to the Ahmedi community; Qurban Hussein, deputy leader of the Liberal-Democrat group on Luton Borough Council and Sir Ghulam Noon, a leading businessman with Indian roots.
Other prominent personalities chosen to be the peers, include former chief of the General Staff, British Army; General Sir Richard Dannat and Rachael Heyhoe Flint, former captain of the England women cricket team.
The new appointments have raised the number of the House of Lords to 794. The Labour Party has 244 members, but the new additions will see the coalition government benches swell to 316 or 39 percent of the total representation.
The new intake could also cost the British taxpayer up to 2.5 million pounds a year, since each peer can claim up to 300 pounds for every day they attend, amounting to a maximum 43,500 pounds annually if the house sits for 145 days.
Meanwhile, member, Kashmir Council and central leader of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Peoples Muslim League, Hameed Pothi has congratulated the three newly elevated Asian members of the House of Lords. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\21\story_21-11-2010_pg7_14
