Lord Mayor 2017-2018 - Councillor Abid Hussain
Councillor Abid Hussain was born in Mirpur in Pakistan and moved to the UK in 1971, at the age of 12, with his family.
He became an elected Member for the Keighley Central Ward in 2010 and is currently Chair of the Education Appeals Panel. He is also Deputy Chair of the Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel, a member of the Regulatory & Appeals Committee and the Joint Health and Social Care & Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He is an alternate member on the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny and the Keighley Area Committees.
Councillor Hussain was educated at Greenhead Grammar School in Keighley and he has a Management Diploma in Textiles, gained whilst studying at Bradford College.
After leaving school he started his working life as an apprentice in textiles at British Mohair Spinners, leaving there to become a self-employed greengrocer and for the last ten years he has been self-employed as a travel agent.
Councillor Hussain has been married to his wife Shahnaz Akhtar, who was also born in the same village of Mirpur in Pakistan, since 1978. They have seven children, two daughters and five sons. Councillor Hussain comes from a large family and has three brothers, two step-brothers and two step-sisters.
He attends Markazi Jamia Masjid Mosque and is a devout Muslim.
Councillor Hussain is greatly interested in helping to improve Council services and boosting the district’s profile. He also enjoys fund raising for charity and has a keen interest in educational matters. He enjoys meeting different people from all walks of life.
In addition to speaking English, Councillor Hussain also speaks Urdu and Punjabi.
He does a lot of work with the Keighley Welfare Foundation, which is raising money to build a disabled centre in Pakistan. Councillor Hussain has attended a training session on Dementia and Alzheimer’s which has given him some insight into, and understanding of, the problems faced by many of his constitutions and their families.
In his leisure time, Councillor Hussain also enjoys sport, especially cricket and is Chairman of Keighley Cricket Academy. He regularly plays badminton and table tennis, but sadly his football playing days ended when he broke his leg.
Councillor Hussain likes to travel and has recently enjoyed time in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
He is a member of the Leeds Children’s Charity, Harehills Education Trust and also represents Bradford Council on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee.
Councillor Hussain eats halal or vegetarian food, but is also very partial to that great British favourite fish and chips!
He is strictly teetotal and enjoys tea, coffee, orange juice and other soft drinks.
Lady Mayoress 2017-18 - Mrs Shahnaz Akhtar
Councillor Hussain’s wife, Shahnaz, was born in Mirpur, Pakistan. Educated in Pakistan, she came to England in 1978. She is a housewife and mother to their seven children.
A devout Muslim, she worships at her local mosque in Emily Street, Keighley and holds both children’s and cancer charities close to her heart.
The Lady Mayoress only eats halal or vegetarian food, is strictly teetotal but does enjoy a cup of tea or a soft drink.
In her spare time, she enjoys sewing and reading Urdu and Arabic books. Her favourite flowers are red roses.