Watch: PM of Scotland Humza Yousaf’s oath in Urdu as MP in 2016

Pakistani-origin, Humza Yousaf took his oath in Urdu after he was officially elected as Scotland’s sixth First Minister.

Yousaf, 37, is the first Muslim, and the youngest ever to hold the post in the devolved region, with a majority of 71 out of 128 votes in Parliament.

After his election on March 28, as leader of the governing SNP, Yousaf received 71 votes for First Minister, with all SNP members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and all seven Scottish Green MSPs included in 128 voters voting for him in Parliament.

He replaces Nicola Sturgeon, who announced her resignation last month, stepping down as the longest-serving First Minister in Scotland, after more than eight years in office.

Following the win, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Yousaf to congratulate him, reports the BBC.

He said he wanted to continue “working constructively with the Scottish government” to deliver on what he argued was the “people’s priorities across Scotland, including the need to half inflation, delivering growth, and cut waiting times.”

He said in his victory speech that he will make Scotland a “fairer and wealthier” place.

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.

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.

Throwback:

When Hamza was elected MP in 2016, during his swearing-in ceremony, he first took his oath in English and then repeated the same in Urdu.

Adding on to his oath at the end, Humza said, “Khuda kareem meri madad farmaega (Lord will help me in the task of delivering my duty)”