FORMER taxi driver Shaukat Ali has been sworn in as the 128th Lord Mayor of Manchester during a ceremony on Wednesday.
Ali, who was born in Pakistan in 1965 and grew up in the village of Batli in Kashmir, moved to Manchester at the age of 16.
He worked in textile manufacturing before running a furniture business and a small food outlet.
He also spent several years working as a licensed taxi driver while studying English in the evenings and later gaining an IT diploma from City College Manchester, the BBC reported.
Ali, first elected in 2012, has served on committees including planning and highways, children’s scrutiny, and neighbourhood services.
He described the appointment as a “deeply emotional” moment after the death of his mother a day earlier following a long illness.
In his maiden speech, he said: “Manchester is a city built on diversity, culture, and fairness.”
Outgoing Lord Mayor Carmine Grimshaw said serving the city had been “an honour”.
