14 British-Pakistani candidates elected in UK polls

Labour party secured a landslide victory in the UK election, bringing a crushing end to the 14-year-rule of the Conservatives.

The polls saw 14 British-Pakistani Kashmiri candidates emerge victorious. 

However, this time around, the issue of Gaza played a crucial role in dozens of constituencies, influencing the outcome of several seats.

Four independent candidates won their seats solely due to their campaign focus on the Gaza genocide by Israel, taking away seats from the Labour party. 

The Muslim vote, estimated to be around 4 million, significantly impacted traditionally safe Labour seats, leading to a noticeable shift in these constituencies.

Shabana Mahmood, a prominent Labour leader from Birmingham Ladywood, secured 15,558 votes, while independent candidate Ahmed Yaqoob, who campaigned on the Gaza issue, garnered 12,137 votes.

In a surprise upset, Barrister Ayub Khan, an independent candidate, defeated Labour's Khalid Mahmood in the Birmingham Perry Barr constituency, with 13,303 votes to Mahmood's 12,796 votes. 

Khalid Mahmood, the longest-serving Pakistani-born parliamentarian, had first been elected in 2001.

Tahir Ali from Labour won the Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley constituency with 12,798 votes, but faced a tough challenge from independent candidates Muhammad Hafeez and Shakeel Afshar, who ran on a platform focused on the Palestine issue.

Labour Party’s newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also unveiled the names of his cabinet members.

British-Pakistani Kashmiri-origin Birmingham MP Shabana Mahmood was named as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in the new Labour government.