Deputy Lord Mayor
Deputy Lord Mayor 2024-2025: Councillor Mohammed Shafiq
The Deputy Lord Mayor was born in Village Doral, Mirpur, Pakistan and was educated at the village school, Doral Bainsi Jatti Dheri.
In 1984, he moved to the UK and attended a language centre in Bradford. He went to Bradford and Ilkley Community College and then studied social work, earning a Diploma. He also gained a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences from Bradford University.
As a young man, he worked at the famous Karachi Restaurant in Bradford, took a job in a petrol station and also worked as a private hire taxi driver.
In 1999 he graduated in social work and began a career working in child protection, helping safeguard some of our most vulnerable children. Shafiq finds the work challenging, but also feels it highly rewarding to be in a team who work tirelessly to improve the outcomes for local children. He has always prioritised trying to reduce poverty and has fought for more resources for vulnerable families throughout his career.
From 2015, he has held several locum roles as social worker, social work consultant and has been instructed as an independent cultural expert. His services, from specialist assessment to specialist support intervention, have been sought by many local authorities throughout the UK. His work has not been limited to only this country and he has taken a special interest in protecting and safeguarding our children wherever they may live in the world. Shafiq’s social work expertise has been sought by many local authorities across the country in working to safely return children who have been taken out of the UK. He currently works as a locum social worker.
Married to Naheed Akhtar, they have twin daughters who are studying dentistry and hope to qualify in two years’ time. They also have two boys; one is in his third year studying for a law degree, and their younger son is working towards his ‘A’ levels and aspires to study optometry and qualify as an optician.
Shafiq was elected to Bradford Council in 2006. He has been a deputy portfolio holder for housing, planning and regeneration. Shafiq has been a Chair of the Bradford East Area committee and currently is a Chair of the Regulatory and Appeal committee.
He worships at the Madni Masjid in Bradford and is a member of the Islamic Cultural Educational Association.
The Deputy Lord Mayor speaks English, Urdu and Punjabi. In his leisure time he enjoys watching football and supporting Bradford City Football Club. He has visited Turkey, Cyprus, and Disneyland Paris, as well as Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimage. He has also visited Pakistan for family and work purposes.
He holds dear the work of the MND Charity. Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a heartbreaking condition which has deeply affected his family. Watching his cousin gradually lose strength and succumb to this condition was incredibly painful, made even more so by the fact that there is currently no cure. He feels strongly that we must support the dedicated health professionals and researchers who are tirelessly working to understand and combat MND. By investing in medical research, he believes we can bring hope to the thousands of people affected by this disease and move closer to finding a cure.
He would encourage people to advocate for, and support, research initiatives which can make a difference in the fight against MND.
He is enjoying his year as Deputy Lord Mayor and is deeply committed to our vibrant community and takes pride in contributing to its growth and prosperity. His interests and hobbies centre around promoting personal development and community engagement. He is passionate about volunteering and regularly participates in local charity events and community clean-up initiatives. Keenly enthusiastic of Bradford’s rich history, he often finds himself carrying out research and championing our rich culture heritage.
He has no allergies, is teetotal, prefers coffee to tea, and eats only halal meat or vegetarian dishes.