Pakistan-Origin Humza Yousaf Becomes Scotland's 1st Muslim Leader

“Congratulations to Humza Yousaf on his historic nomination to become Scotland's new First Minister," the SNP said in a tweet.

Humza Yousaf will be sworn-in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Source : AFP

New Delhi: Humza Yousaf, a Pakistani-origin politician, has been elected as Scotland's First Minister on Tuesday, making him the youngest person ever and the first Muslim to hold this position in the region, reported news agency PTI.

Following elections on Monday as the leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP), Tuesday’s vote in Scotland’s devolved Holyrood Parliament was seen as a formality. He secured 71 votes in favor of his appointment, with the support of all SNP members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and all seven Scottish Green MSPs.

Yousaf pointed to his fellow Pakistani-origin Opposition Scottish Labour Party leader, Anas Sarwar, as a “signal of progress” that the region’s two senior politicians are now of South Asian heritage.

“It’s quite a signal of the progress that we have made as a country, as well as a Parliament, that two of the candidates putting themselves forward are from minority ethnic communities,” said Yousaf, as per PTI. 

"You try telling that to 16-year-old Humza Yousaf, who post 9/11 was questioned constantly about his loyalty to this country. We have, presiding officers, collectively come a long way," he said, with reference to his distinction as the first-ever Muslim to lead a western democratic nation.

It followed outgoing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally resigning for Yousaf's name to now be submitted to King Charles III, with a formal session to swear him in scheduled at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

“Congratulations to Humza Yousaf on his historic nomination to become Scotland's new First Minister. First Scots-Asian nominated as First Minister; First Muslim leader of any western democracy; First child descended from immigrants nominated as First Minister,” the SNP said in a tweet.

In his pitch to MSPs as his family looked on in the Scottish Parliament, the new First Minister leader said: “This Parliament has just given me the opportunity to help steer this nation’s course as we make the next stage of that journey together.

“Doing that will be the honour and the privilege of my life. I will strive every single minute of every day to be worthy of it.” Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross, Labour’s Sarwar, and Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton also stood to be First Minister.

Sarwar repeated his call for a fresh election, saying Yousaf did not have a mandate: “Only through a change of government will we be able to truly deliver the better governance that Scotland needs.”

Yousaf responded by stressing a shared appetite for politics, but which is less polarised and less confrontational as he made an open offer to other party leaders to work together where they can.

(With PTI inputs)