LONDON: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Pakistan’s role in supporting peace efforts between the US and Iran, stressing that the premier has shown considerable statesmanship and deserves lots of credit for the role he has played.
Speaking to Geo News at the Vaisakhi celebrations in Trafalgar Square of London, Mayor Khan said: “PM Shehbaz deserves great credit. We’ve seen Vice President JD Vance in Pakistan. We’ve seen the Iranian team in Pakistan. We want this ceasefire to be permanent. It’s really important to recognise the importance of peacekeeping. Disputes are solved amicably and peacefully, and diplomacy is really important.”
President Donald Trump has openly and repeatedly criticised Khan. In fact, the London mayor was among the first to be targeted by Trump, and Khan has responded to him in a similar manner through the media.
Khan said, smiling, that President Trump is not known for appreciating people, but the fact that he has been praising PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir says a great deal about the significance Pakistan has achieved through its peace efforts.
He said: “President Trump is praising PM Shehbaz. We’ve got to recognise that had this meeting not taken place in Pakistan, had Pakistan not offered to host as a trusted partner, and the big thing about Pakistan being a trusted partner is that both Iran and the US agreed to go to Islamabad and have these talks.
“We’ve got to hope, Inshallah, that there is peace that this ceasefire holds, because look, it’s affecting all of us. It’s affecting the economy in Pakistan. It’s affecting the economy in the UK. It’s affecting the economy in Europe because of Iran and the US. And so peace is good for everyone, and Pakistan should be very proud of the role it has played.”
Mayor Khan joined Vaisakhi celebrations in Trafalgar Square, praising the Sikh community and describing the festival as a joyful and important occasion.
He said people could be proud to be Londoners, British, English, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh at the same time. Thousands of Sikhs gathered in the Square to celebrate the festival by singing, dancing, praying, eating and playing Gatka.
The London mayor used the event to highlight the importance of unity and respect, while warning about the rise in anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia.
He said that only a few weeks ago, he was attacked for hosting the Eid ul Fitr event at the same venue by right-wingers and nativists — from Reform, the Tories, some sections of the media and racist groups — who claimed Muslims had shown dominance by praying in the Square and that Eid celebrations should be banned.
He asked what the same people would say about the fact that he was now celebrating a Sikh event, had celebrated a major Christian event two weeks earlier, and would soon host Hindu, Jewish and other festivals at the same venue.
He said that such criticism was unfair and baseless, and showed how there has been, across the UK and “across the globe, an increase in hatred, anti-Muslim hatred, Islamophobia”.
“We are deeply suspicious across the globe. You’ve got right-wing, nativist populists bringing to the centre views that are unacceptable. The good news, we’ve got fantastic allies. Keir Starmer defended the British values of respect and celebration. But also many others came to our defence. The Jewish community came to our defence as well during Ramadan. We’ll be celebrating Eid, we’ll be fighting for it again. Happy Vaisakhi!” he concluded.
