Pakistani origin Sadiq Khan elected London mayor for a second term

KARACHI – Pakistani origin London Mayor Sadiq Khan won a second stint at City Hall with victory over Conservative rival Shaun Bailey.

Khan, 50, became the first Muslim to lead a major Western capital in 2016, remained victorious with 55.2 percent of the vote compared with 44.8 percent for opponent Shaun Bailey however turnout remained low, 42 percent, as compared to the previous polls.

The labour party leader, who is known for a vocal critic of Brexit and of successive Conservative prime ministers, has risen from a modest background to spar with the country’s top politicians. The latest win continues a remarkable journey for the Pakistani immigrant bus driver’s son.

Taking it to his official handle, Khan thanked his supporters following the second win. ‘Thank you, London. It’s the absolute honor of my life to serve the city I love for another three years’, he wrote in a tweet.

Thank you London. It’s the absolute honour of my life to serve the city I love for another three years.

I’ll leave no stone unturned to get our city back on its feet.

A brighter future is possible, and we’ll deliver it together. pic.twitter.com/kwA1awEten

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) May 8, 2021

Adding that ‘I’ll leave no stone unturned to get our city back on its feet. A brighter future is possible, and we’ll deliver it together.’

Let it be known that the 50-year-old, before coming into mainstream politics, is a former human rights lawyer and brought up on a London public housing complex.