Explained: How Rishi Sunak is connected with ‘India and Pakistan’?

The 42-year-old investment banker-turned politician took charge as UK’s first Hindu PM, a days after he was elected the leader of the Conservative Party in a historic leadership run. He is the youngest British prime minister in 210 years. 

Sunak’s grandparents originated from British India but their birthplace Gujranwala lies in modern day Pakistan’s Punjab province. Hence, in an odd way, the new British leader is both an India and a Pakistani, according to the news agency PTI. 

So far, the details about his ancestry are available only on social media platforms, where both Indian and Pakistanis are expressing their views about his elevation to power amidst UK political crisis. 

Taking to Twitter, one user, Queen Lioness 86 wrote, “The Sunaks are a Punjabi Khatri family from Gujranwala, now in Pakistan. Ramdas Sunak, Rishi’s paternal grandfather, left Gujranwala to work as a clerk in Nairobi in 1935.”

She further provided more details about the Sunak family. Though officially nothing has been said in Pakistan about Sunak, some on social media have suggested the government to lay its claim on him, PTI reported. 

According to her, Ramdas’ wife, Suhag Rani Sunak, moved to Delhi first from Gujranwala, along with her mother-in-law, before travelling to Kenya in 1937. 

Shafat Shah, another user tweeted, “I think Pakistan should also lay claim on Rishi Sunak because his paternal grandparents were from Gujranwala who from there migrated to Kenya and then to Britain.”

Someone with a Twitter handle as Grand Finale wrote: “Wow! What a tremendous achievement. A Pakistani has now ascended to the highest office in England. Anything is possible if you believe.”

“Going to bed in the US with hopes that a #Punjabi from #Gujranwala will be the #PrimeMinister of the #UK in the morning! Both #Pakistan and #India should be jointly proud of this moment!” one more user, Yaqoob Bangash wrote on Twitter. 

Others like Akhtar Saleem are more down to earth and want Sunak to address the longstanding issue of the Kohinoor diamond. “Since he is becoming prime minister, I think Pakistan should ask him to return the Kohinoor diamond which was stolen from Lahore,” Saleem said.

(With PTI inputs)