Not Cricket Councillor Rashid!

ON the 18^th, December, the ambitious Rochdale Councillor Aasim Rashid welcomed the resumption of flights to Pakistan from Britain after a 10 years suspension.   In a self-congratulatory Face-book entry he said:

‘it was part of our agenda when our Rochdale Delegation visited Pakistan in Oct. that British Airways should resume flights to Pakistan and the England Cricket team playing in Pakistan. Tony Lloyd MP, Allen Brett and myself had very detailed discussion with British high commission in Pakistan...

‘I would like to congratulate Overseas Pakistanis Minister Zulfi Bukhari for his team efforts. It is a huge example if we work together there will be a positive outcome.’

Councillor Rashid is lavish with his praise for an overseas minister who has a strange history.

Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari alias Zulfi Bukhari, was accused in the newspaper DAWN on November 20^th, this year, of not cooperating with the investigators of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probing a case into his alleged illegitimate assets.

Mr. Zulfi Bukhari is a close friend of the current prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.  Earlier, in the July-25th, elections, he was in-charge of elections campaigns of PTI party chief Imran Khan for NA-53 Islamabad.  He is a dual British-Pakistani national with family in the UK.

The NAB notice mentioned that Zulfi Bukhari owns six offshore companies which were revealed in Pakistan by The News reporter Umar Cheema last year.

Bukhari had in 2016 defended having offshore companies and said that it was 'legal and common practice for companies & businessmen like myself to establish commercial entities in different jurisdictions.'

According to the ongoing NAB enquiry : “Consequent upon revelation of Panama Papers, various allegations leveled that the petitioner in connivance with others has established various offshore companies in the British Virgin Island (BVI).” 

Is this cricket?

It is to be hoped that the Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd and the noble boss of Rochdale, Councilor Allen Brett, know what they are getting into with Councillor Rashid and the curious politics of Pakistan.

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Gold Rush For Rochdale Seat!

NEWS that Simon Danczuk MP, has at last been dumped as a candidate by the Labour Party, has led to  a band wagon effect in the local Labour Party as the leader of the Rochdale Labour Party, Councillor Richard Farnell, struggles to control the local membership.
Today, ROCHDALE ONLINE reports that 'at least three local Labour members, two of them councillors, are throwing their hats into the ring to be the party's candidate'.
In an email seen by Rochdale Online, Councillor Farnell said:
'I would ask that no one comments to the local/national media - referring them to the national Labour Party press office.  The decision on the selection of a candidate for Rochdale rests with the National Executive Committee.'
The three hopeful local Labour Party members wanting to stand in Danczuk's place are Councillor Chris Furlong; Castleton councillor Aasim Rashid and Former Lib Dem councillor Mark Birkett.
Backing Councillor Rashid is the Pakistani & Kashmiri Community Association. Spokesperson Mudassir Yasin said:  'We strongly recommend the idea of nominating a local person as the candidate for Rochdale who knows the issues and is keen enough to resolve them.'
An official decision will be announced after a meeting of NEC members on 3 May to approve candidates. The deadline for Labour’s candidate nominations is 5 May.