Two of Pakistani origin appointed to British House of Lords

LONDON - Two persons of Pakistani origin are among the 54 new members appointed to the British Parliament Upper House of Lords.

Tariq Ahmad, a businessman and former vice chairman of the Conservative Party, and Qurban Hussein, deputy leader of the Liberal-Democrat group on Luton Borough Council, have been appointed to the Upper House of Lords, the Daily Times reports.

Other prominent personalities chosen to be the peers include General Sir Richard Dannat, former Chief of General Staff, British Army, Rachael Heyhoe Flint, former captain of England women cricket team, and Sir Ghulam Noon, a leading businessman with Indian roots.

The new appointments have raised the number of the House of Lords members to 794. The Labour Party has 244 members, but the new additions will see the coalition government benches swell to 316, or 39 percent of the total representation.

The new intake could also cost British taxpayers up to 2.5 million pounds a year, since each peer can claim up to 300 pounds for every day they attend, amounting to a maximum 43,500 pounds annually, if the house sits for 145 days. (ANI)