Pakistani-origin Humza Yousaf elected Scotland’s first Muslim First Minister

First Scots-Asian nominated as First Minister First Muslim leader of any western democracy First child descended from immigrants nominated as First Minister, the SNP said in a tweet.Making his pitch to MSPs as his family looked on in the Scottish Parliament, the new First Minister leader said This Parliament has just given me the opportunity to help steer this nations course as we make the next stage of that journey together.Doing that will be the honour and the privilege of my life.

The Pakistani-origin leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was on Tuesday elected Scotland's First Minister, the first Muslim, and the youngest-ever aged 37 to hold the post in the devolved region.

Humza Yousaf pointed to his fellow Pakistani-origin Opposition Scottish Labour Party leader, Anas Sarwar, as a "signal of progress" that the region's two senior politicians are now of South Asian heritage.

After his election on Monday as leader of the governing SNP, Tuesday's vote in Scotland's devolved Holyrood Parliament was seen as a formality, in which Yousaf received 71 votes for First Minister, with all SNP members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and all seven Scottish Green MSPs voting for him.

"It's quite a signal of the progress that we have made as a country, as well as a Parliament, that two of the candidates putting themselves forward are from minority ethnic communities," said Yousaf.

''You try telling that to 16-year-old Humza Yousaf, who post 9/11 was questioned constantly about his loyalty to this country. We have, presiding officer, collectively come a long way,'' he said, with reference to his distinction as the first-ever Muslim to lead a western democratic nation.

It followed outgoing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally resigning for Yousaf's name to now be submitted to King Charles III, with a formal session to swear him in scheduled at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

"Congratulations to Humza Yousaf on his historic nomination to become Scotland's new First Minister. First Scots-Asian nominated as First Minister; First Muslim leader of any western democracy; First child descended from immigrants nominated as First Minister," the SNP said in a tweet.

Making his pitch to MSPs as his family looked on in the Scottish Parliament, the new First Minister leader said: "This Parliament has just given me the opportunity to help steer this nation's course as we make the next stage of that journey together.

"Doing that will be the honour and the privilege of my life. I will strive every single minute of every day to be worthy of it." Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross, Labour's Sarwar, and Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton also stood to be First Minister.

Sarwar repeated his call for a fresh election, saying Yousaf did not have a mandate: "Only through a change of government will we be able to truly deliver the better governance that Scotland needs." Yousaf responded by stressing a shared appetite for politics that is less polarised and less confrontational as he made an open offer to other party leaders to work together where they can.

Seen as a continuity candidate in line with their predecessor Sturgeon's policies, Yousaf now faces the key challenges of defining a clear plan for the independence of Scotland, which the SNP campaigns for, progressing with controversial gender recognition reforms, and alleviating the cost-of-living crisis.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)