ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his deputy congratulated London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Sunday for winning a third consecutive term in office, saying the landmark victory reflected the British-Pakistani official’s dedication to public service.
Khan, 53, who was first elected in May 2016, beat his Conservative rival Susan Hall by more than 276,000 votes, with his win representing a swing of 3.2 percent to the Labour party. He won nine of the 14 constituencies, results showed on Saturday.
Taking to social media platform X, Sharif offered his heartiest felicitations to Khan for his “hat-trick” of becoming London mayor.
“The proud son of a hardworking British Pakistani has made every Pakistani proud, not just his parents,” he wrote.
“Being elected as the Mayor of London for the third time is a testament to Sadiq Khan’s ability and public service.”
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also congratulated Khan on his re-election as London mayor.
“I wish him every success as he continues his onward march to serve the people of London with dedication & distinction,” Dar wrote on X.
Khan, who replaced Boris Johnson as London mayor in 2016 and who has widespread policing and budget powers, has been an increasingly divisive figure in the past few years regardless of the facts for or against, particularly in the suburbs, where he fared worse than in the inner city.
His supporters say he has multiple achievements to his name, such as expanding housebuilding, free school meals for young children, keeping transport costs in check and generally backing London’s minority groups. His critics say he has overseen a crime surge, been anti-car and has unnecessarily allowed pro-Palestinian marches to become a regular feature at weekends.
With inputs from AP
