'I haven't withdrawn case against Musharraf'

Nazir Ahmed, Baron Ahmed (born 1958) is a member of the House of Lords, having become the United Kingdom's first Muslim life peer in 1998. He was born in Mirpur (Azad Kashmir, Pakistan) but his family later migrated to the UK, where he was brought up. He attended Spurley Hey Comprehensive School, then Thomas Rotherham Sixth Form College.  He studied Public Administration at Sheffield Hallam University and joined the Labour Party when he was 18 years old. The Asians had a conversation with Lord Nazir Ahmed to get to know more about him:

The Asians: You belong to a working class family. What was the reason behind your migration to U.K?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  My late father was a factory worker. He also worked as labour on canal and road projects and kilns. First my maternal uncle and other relatives arrived in U.K. in the fifties as labour was needed for reconstruction work since the infrastructure and industries had totally been destroyed due to Second World War. On the other hand construction of Mangla dam was being planned in Pakistan. During that time my father decided to work in the U.K. for a year or a half. My father Haji Sain Muhammed came here in 1961.
 
The Asians:  What about your childhood in Mirpur the place of your birth?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  My ancestral village is Mirpur Kalyal sector B-five. We are two sisters and three brothers. I am the youngest among my brothers. One of my sisters is younger than me. My childhood was very good and playful. I was also fond of recitation from the holy Quran. I remained class monitor. I used to recite Quran and Na’at. I also had a pet white dog that I loved very much.  When my parents said their prayers he did not cross them and sat nearby. I remember even today that when in 1969 we migrated to U.K. , he followed us to a long distance.
 
The Asians:  You often visit Pakistan, What did you find lacking in both places?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  I feel sincere and loving people are missing everywhere. In this society you find everything under a system. Here everyone is equal. I saw a former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott walking on foot while in Pakistan and Kashmir it is not like this. I go to my office in train. If someone does this in Pakistan no one would respect him rather he would be subjected to humiliation. You cannot get justice in Pakistan. You need money or reference to get whatever you get here in routine.  You have to show class and status in Pakistan which you do not find here.
 
The Asians:  Do you feel that you had been more successful in Pakistan?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  I would not have been successful in Pakistan. I am thankful to Allah that he provided me with better chances here in this country. Had I been in Pakistan I would have opened a shop to the maximum or purchased a bus or a truck. It was quite impossible to prosper there.
 
The Asians:  What made you to enter into politics at the age of 18?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  I had been in politics since my childhood in a way. I was class monitor in the school. When I came here I used to go to door to door along with school welfare officer. Then I became president of the college students union. I was not the only first Pakistani but the first Asian to be elected as president of the Thomas Rotherham College union. I also remained chairman of the Young Socialist Labour Party. You may say that the germs of politics were present in my blood much before I entered in practical politics.
 
The Asians:  A black man has become the president of the United States. Do you see that here in U.K. some day a black or member of ethnic minority would become prime minister?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed: In my opinion it was just an incident that could happen anywhere. Here we have achieved many successes. Muslims in U.K. are not only in cabinet and shadow cabinet but are close to party leaders of which Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Sadiq Khan MP are two examples, a situation we could not even think of ten years before. To make a head line I may say that one day, a Muslim would become prime minister here but situation at present is very difficult and it would take much time for us to achieve this position.
 
The Asians:  You, as a politician, meet with world leaders. How you view the present situation in Pakistan at national and international level and its future?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:   In my opinion Pakistan is fighting the war of its existence. The conditions there would not change so early. It faces many internal and external challenges. Despite this it is not going to be broken in any case. It is in favour of some people that Pakistan should remain confronted with this situation because if becomes stronger and developed it could wield influence in the region owing to its nuclear clout, brain and courage. They want to keep the status quo. Presently there is no strong and sincere leadership in Pakistan that could see the world according to current global spectrum. Unfortunately I could not see any such leader there. Its political leaders may understand the feudal and class system better than the others but they cannot sense the challenges of the present day world and the economic and political progress made by the West. Unfortunately Pakistani leaderships lack such vision. Strategically Pakistan lies between India and Afghanistan but its influence is not seen anywhere. Cooperation against terrorism was seen during the period of Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and even now but not for economic development. These forces wanted to give alms to Pakistan because they think it could be a threat to world peace due to terrorism but they did not want it to develop in science, technology, education or any other field. They want some stability in Pakistan but not to that extent that it could play some role at global front. Serious internal challenges also face that country. Cooperation between PPP and PML(N) are temporal and are aimed at keeping army away from politics as well as protect their own interests and also for show off for the outside world.
 
The Asians:  Some time you become so active about trial of General (r) Pervez Musharraf but some time you seem silent on the subject. What is the reason behind it?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  I do not sit silent and raising questions in the House of Lords. Besides pursuing the matter through Metropolitan Police. I have not withdrawn the case and have no pressure on me in this behalf either. But Nawaz Sharif and his party men are also silent who faced excesses at the hands of Pervez Musharraf.  Neither Qazi Hussain nor Imran Khan speaks any word and none has filed any case against him so far. Many people have told me that Pervez Musharraf wanted to meet me to remove any misunderstanding but I have made it clear that I have no personal differences with him. I understand that it is the issue of the Pakistani nation. Many question me that if Pervez Musharraf had committed any thing wrong, the present rulers are also doing the same thing than why I do not take action against them. In this regard I have to say that one reason is that three important witnesses in this case had withdrawn their statements while the law firm is demanding a big amount to pursue the case. However we are considering all aspects of the case.
 
The Asians:  It is felt that extremism and fundamentalism is on the rise in the youth of Pakistani community. What in your opinion is the reason behind it?  Can far right wing parties like BNP use this phenomenon for propaganda against Muslim community?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  As far as I think, far right wing could use any sort of extremism in our community against Muslims to defame but the fact is this that extremism is not growing in our community and if at all it exists to some extent, it is much less as it had been so before but was outplayed beyond proportion. Look at the history of Muslims in the U.K. , you would find no leader to be reckoned with. Up till now the people think themselves of a leader. There was no leadership of national level by the issue of Salman Rushdie because we were a new community in this society. However, two things appeared in that period. Iqbal Sacranie, formed a committee to condemn Salman Rushdie and secondly late Dr Kalim Siddiqui constituted Muslim parliament.  They struggled to recognize their own leadership against Salman Rushdie. But during that period people like Abu Hamza, Abu Qatada and Abu Bakr were brought forth as spokesmen of the Muslim community for the simple reason that no one accepted the leadership that believed in peaceful struggle. Media are a big business. People want sensation and the media would promote only such leaders who want to raise the flag of ‘Sharia’ as there is sensation in it. But the question remains whether such men represent the community? The answer is clear. No, not at all. None of the 1400 mosques in U.K. belong to such elements. They could find only 100-150 estranged youth from the community for incitement. I think that there is need to make immigration policy balanced and to empower the white colour working class. I say this because I do not want that the BNP would say that Union Jack is mine not of the BNP. I am the spokesman of the white colour working class and if do not say all this, the BNP would say this.
 
The Asians:  Why Muslim community does not enter into politics? What is the reason for their disproportionate representation?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed: I understand that Muslim community especially of the South Asian origin is more in the politics than others. Arabs do not take interest in the politics as they do not have political culture back home.  Though India Pakistan and Bangladesh faced political ups and downs and the latter two saw Martial law but democratic discourse also continued there. Community-wise speaking, Pakistani and Kashmiris are more active in the politics and there are mayors, councillors and lord mayors from them. But it should be kept in mind that we are a very tiny community while the Jews are here for the last three to four centuries. Comparing to Europe and western world, there are more Muslim politicians and parliamentarians in the U.K.
 
The Asians:  What is the reason behind educational backwardness in the Muslim community?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  The shortcomings are in us. The parents after sending their children to school think that now it is the responsibility of the school administration or the state and pay little attention to their children. Secondly we set up numerous mosques but paid no attention towards education. Money is spent on the construction of big mosques to win acclaim and bring ‘Moulvis’ whose only qualification is his melodious voice and is able to deliver only lengthy sermons but there is dearth of such who could teach the children and understand the local culture.
 
The Asians: There is sharp increase in ratio of divorce, single parent and events of forced marriage in the Muslim community. Is our family system is collapsing?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  In my opinion these problems are not of the Muslim community alone as the U.K. and the entire European society face them. Since ours is the part of this society we are also being affected.


The Asians:  Any incident that changed your life and you think that it would not have happened?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  The Road accident totally changed my life. Although Harriet Harman also caused accident due to talking on phone while driving but she was awarded three penalty points and fined 300 pounds only whereas my case which was of magistrate level, was referred to Crown court and High Court as media was after me.  I would not go to the detail of the case but I think that it was all from Allah. Jail provided me an opportunity to become aware of the problems faced by the prisoners and the need for jail reforms.
 
The Asians:  How do you spend your leisure time?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  I find little time to spare but it is always my concern to read something. However, helping my mother, I like the most. She is 94. Either I talk to her, take my grandchildren to shopping centres or play carom with them.
 
The Asians:  Your favourite dish. Your favourite city?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:   I take all Halal food items. Spiritually, I like Makkah but Istanbul I like the most for recreation.  If I find some spare time I also love to watch some good movie. I am of very sensitive nature and start weeping on the miseries of others.
 
The Asians:  Which people you could not bear?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  Selfish, self centered, hypocrites, liars and self praising. Power and wealth cannot impress me. 
 
The Asians:  What three things the community should get rid of in your opinion?
 
Lord Nazir Ahmed:  We, by nature, are back biters and leg pullers and work a lot for cheap publicity and temporary benefits. We do not make far-reaching planning. There are two million Muslims in UK and one million of them are of Pakistani and Kashmiri origin. But it is quite deplorable that not a single report has come out about Pakistani community as yet.  Neither there is any think tank from them.  We have not a single intellectual who could answer the propaganda against the community befittingly. If we dedicate half of the amount we spend on dinner parties and photo shoot or the mosques allocate their additional amount, we can sponsor at least 20 students for PhD every year. But we like pomp and show and boast that I am the President of a mosque that has two hundred thousand pounds account to earn interest.