British Pakistanis Seek Apology from Suella Braverman over Racist Comments

London, April 12 (IANS) Scores of British Pakistanis wrote letters to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to complain about the "racist, unacceptable and inflammatory" comments made recently by Home Secretary Suella Braverman against Pakistani men.

Doctors, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, CEOs and founders wrote multiple letters signed by dozens of associations and individuals to Sunak, demanding an apology from Braverman, Dawn news reported.

Last week, Braverman came under fire after she repeatedly spoke about "the predominance of British-Pakistani males who hold cultural values totally at odds with British values".

In an interview to Sky News, she said that British Pakistani men "see women in a demeaned, illegitimate way, and pursue an outdated and frankly heinous approach to the way we behave".

The programme host also highlighted the Home Secretary's comments that "vulnerable white girls are being targeted by British Pakistani grooming gangs", and people have been "turning a blind eye out of political correctness", Dawn reported.

Her comments triggered intense criticism on social media, where both Pakistani origin and non-Pakistani commentators called her out for discrimination and politicising a serious issue.

A letter signed by medical professionals read: "It is unacceptable for the home secretary to use inflammatory and divisive rhetoric that is sensationalist and contradicts her own department's evidence.

"Critically, it enables these heinous crimes to continue by focusing on political exhibitionism instead of implementing impactful action that is evidence-based and requires a whole system response rather than singling out one particular ethnic group."

The British Pakistan Foundation also penned an open letter to the Prime Minister.

"We are writing to you to share our deep concern and disappointment at the Home Secretary's recent comments and for you not speaking out against them. These comments singled out only the involvement of British Pakistani males in so-called grooming gangs' and holding cultural values totally at odds with British values'," it said.

Muslim associations also joined the criticism against Braverman, penning a letter to 10 Downing Street in which the home secretary's words were criticised, Dawn reported.