New Delhi: ‘Kashmir is ours’ might be a phrase that could feature at many Independence Day programmes in Pakistan without really causing a ripple. But when it comes from the Lord Mayor of Britain’s second-largest city, ripples do go out and eyebrows up.
During a Pakistani Independence Day programme in Birmingham last week, Lord Mayor of the City Council Zaker Choudhry said that Kashmir belonged to Pakistan, urging Islamabad and the people of Kashmir to sit down and have “peaceful dialogue”.
“Our forefathers fought for our country. Kashmir is ours, Pakistan is ours, and [the] army is ours as well,” Choudhry can be heard saying in a video clip making rounds on the internet.
‘I would urge everybody, including Pakistan government and also from Kashmir side, to sit down on the table and have a peaceful dialogue. You are not going to achieve anything without dialogue,” he says in the clip.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham says "Kashmir is ours." pic.twitter.com/bD9SwNI2ZA
— William Seaborn (@will_seaborn) August 18, 2026
Choudhry took oath as Birmingham’s 116th Lord Mayor in May 2026, the first Muslim person to hold the office. His swearing-in ceremony had garnered some controversy, being attacked by members of the right-wing Reform UK party for inviting an imam to share a brief 30-second Arabic verse as part of the installation ceremony.
Born in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Choudhry comes from a family that has served in the military for generations. His father served during the second world war and was recognised by King George VI in 1945 for his contribution to the effort.
In 1969, at 14 years of age, Choudhry moved to the United Kingdom, where he started working as a gas welder at a manufacturing unit while still a student, the Birmingham City Council’s website says. Over the years, he progressed to senior operational roles, developing successful businesses in property and local enterprises.
Choudhry’s political debut came in 2006, when he was first elected councillor. A member of the Birmingham Liberal Democrats, he served as representative for communities in Bordesley Green and South Yardley.
His profile on the city council’s website calls him a ‘pragmatic and approachable local representative with a strong focus on neighbourhood well-being, infrastructure and public safety’.
He has also served as chairman of his local mosque, helping lead significant fundraising efforts for Birmingham‑based charities and directly to international humanitarian relief, including following the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan and PoK.
On 15 August, the Consulate General of India in Birmingham had hosted the Lord Mayor during Independence Day celebrations. ‘A privilege to attend the India Flag Raising Ceremony and celebrate India’s Independence Day with our vibrant local community,’ he wrote on X while also talking about the diversity of the city.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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For a Muslim, issues like Palestine and Kashmir are not political issues. These are religious issues and hence, they are willing to put down their life for it.
UK has had a Hindu Prime Minister in Rishi Sunak – can anyone ever imagine him engaging in any such stupid act?
A Muslim’s first commitment is to his religion only. Everything else comes later.
The white Christian population will pay a very heavy price for letting in such religious zealots. Today they are mayors of cities, tomorrow they will rule the nation and enforce Sharia on non-believers.