“Baradari politics’ hit the UK, as a British Pakistani Member of Parliament (MP) accused her party’s mayor candidate of dividing the city on the basis of clan.
Bradford West MP Naz Shah blames a Birmingham former councillor and one of the candidates in race for the labour party for the slat of West Midlands Mayor Salma Yaqoob for campaigning against her to exploit patriarchal politics, or baradari, among the city’s Kashmiri and Pakistani community in 2017. Salma contested election for the Bradford west constituency as an independent candidate and lost to Naz Shah.
The row between the two ladies has been ignited after Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) gave Yaqoob permission to campaign for the mayor candidate however in order to settle score with Salma Yaqoob, Labour MP Shah Shah has written to the party’s NEC claiming Yaqoob endorsed a campaign of misogyny, patriarchy and clan politics in 2017.
This kind of clan politics, not underpinned by any political ideology but driven by men for the purpose of men to gain and retain power, has hindered the development of my city, she said. Despite giving me her word that she wouldn’t come to Bradford West after I explained this to her in detail, Salma Yaqoob] still came and stood against me. In doing so I believe she endorsed misogyny, patriarchy and baradari politics.
Approached for a comment, Yaqoob denied ever exploiting Shah’s background, adding that it was disturbing and manipulative to say so. Yaqoob said she had consistently campaigned against the clan system and did not try to shame anyone. She said that I would like to move forward in this campaign by recognising the problems of the past, honouring the pain felt on all sides and building collective support to deliver the very best for the people of the West Midlands under the Labour party.
Labour sources insist the party went through the proper processes and Yaqoob’s candidacy was waved through because there were no other women or Black and Ethnic Minorities candidates.
