LONDON:

British-Pakistani woman Saadia Saadat has become the first Muslim and Pakistani councillor elected from the Caversham Heights ward of Reading Borough Council, on the outskirts of London.

She is also the only Pakistani and Muslim councillor to secure victory from this ward in England’s recent local elections.

Despite the growing popularity and strong election campaigns of the Reform and Green parties, Saadia successfully conveyed the Conservative Party’s message through an extensive door-to-door campaign, turning a seat previously won by the Labour Party into a Conservative victory.

The newly elected councillor is highly respected among Pakistani and other communities in Reading due to her longstanding political and social contributions. She has initiated numerous development projects in her constituency and launched several public welfare initiatives.

A graduate of Pakistan’s internationally renowned National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Saadia currently holds a senior position at a multinational company in the United Kingdom while also serving in a prominent role with NUST UK.

Having lived in Britain for the past two decades, Saadia has received dozens of awards and certificates of recognition from various social organisations, including honours presented at the UK House of Lords, in acknowledgement of her political and social services.

She is also well known for expressing her views on social and political issues in television programmes and regularly contributes articles to international newspapers, highlighting important community concerns and challenges.

Dedicating her historic electoral victory to her father, Zafar Saadat, she credited his unwavering support and confidence as a key factor behind her success.

Speaking on the occasion, Sadia said: “I am deeply grateful to the people of my constituency for placing their trust in me. I will continue my journey of public service with even greater dedication and commitment as their elected councillor.”