Tony Blair’s Pakistani dry-cleaner negates impression about simple lifestyle of UK politicians

LONDON: Former British prime minister Tony Blair’s Pakistani dry-cleaner Jamil Ahmed has said that politicians in Pakistan knowingly mislead the public by giving examples of how politicians in Britain live a simple life and do everything with their own hands.

Jamil said that the former British prime minister and his wife, Cherie Blair, send their clothes to him for dry-cleaning on regular basis. “I receive their suits, duvets, bed sheets, socks and other items for dry cleaning and ironing and I have been providing them service for many years. This impression is wrong that politicians in Pakistan live a luxury life while politicians in England live that of simplicity.”

Jamil’s dry-cleaning shop is on Crawford Street, near Edgware Road. Blair lives around 7 minutes away from his shop on the other side of the road. He has been living there for over a year and permanent security is stationed outside his house after threats to him grew following the Iraq war.

“Tony Blair has a full-time staff working for him at home and abroad. They are responsible for his dry-cleaning to maintain his household and everything else. That’s the case with most other British politicians and professionals from showbiz and media. Politicians from Labour and Tory come to me all the time and they get even their socks dry-cleaned and ironed. They are very conscious about their image and persona,” said the tailor, who came to work in London from Jhelum several years ago and now lives in Ilford, East London, with his family.

Jamil said that Blair has always been very nice to him. “He knows I am a Pakistani and Muslim. On Eid and other occasions, he makes sure to congratulate us and extends good wishes. He once told me he regarded Pakistanis very highly and appreciated their contribution to public life in Britain. He has been generous and kind.”

Jamil said he gets laundry from the former prime minister’s house every week for dry-cleaning and mostly it’s his staff who pick and drop the laundry.

He said he has been watching Pakistani politicians giving examples of politicians in Britain. “I have not seen that simplicity here. Politicians here have a different level and style of luxury and they enjoy it more than Pakistani politicians do. Politicians get themselves making tea and doing their laundry for media and that’s for publicity only. Reality is quite different.”

Jamil shared that until a few years ago, dry-cleaning business was dominated by Jews and Turks in London, but in the last few years Pakistanis have bought lots of businesses from Jews, who have moved on to other professions. “Jews and Turks are still doing dry-cleaning, laundry and tailoring, but in London, it's Pakistanis who are leading. This business, at least in London, is now dominated by Pakistanis. Many of them, mainly from Jhelum, have been doing this business for over four decades. Their children have taken over these businesses.”

He said that Lady Diana used to get her clothes dry-cleaned from Pakistani dry-cleaner Altaf Hussain. “He has been providing services to quite big names in London. Afzaal Mahmood, a key figure in London affiliated with the PTI, owns dozens of laundry businesses in the city and has been dealing with high profile clients and five-star hotels.

“There are many other Pakistanis who are doing very well,” Jamil added.