MARTIN WILLIAMS and ROBBIE DINWOODIE BASHIR Ahmad, Scotland's first Muslim and Scots-Asian MSP, died yesterday of a heart attack.

The SNP Glasgow list member was six days short of his 69th birthday.

It is understood that the former bus conductor, who became an SNP politician after becoming inspired by a speech by the now First Minister Alex Salmond, died at his Glasgow home.

He leaves a wife, Naseem, and seven children - five daughters and two sons.

Born in Karachi and brought up in Pakistan, he emigrated to Scotland in 1961, at the age of 21, settling in the Pollokshields district of Glasgow, where he remained until his death.

The news of his sudden death has stunned friends and colleagues within the party and community.

Mr Salmond led the tributes, saying: "Bashir Ahmad made history as the first Scots-Asian member of the Scottish Parliament, and therefore gave it something indefinable - he made it representative of the whole country for the first time.

"Bashir was also the kindest, most decent human being it has ever been my pleasure to meet.

"And lastly - although he would have considered it to be first - he was the most patriotic of Scots.

"Bashir was a credit to both his faith and to his country, and my condolences are with his family at this desperately sad time."

An emotional Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister and deputy party leader, said last night: "Bashir was a unique human being, one of the loveliest people I have ever met and will be missed by people across the whole community."

Invited by a cousin who already lived in Pollokshields, Mr Ahmad arrived in Scotland with no money and no English, with a few essentials wrapped in a hold-all.

After starting life in Scotland on the buses, he bought a grocery shop and, after owning a series of restaurants, a takeaway and the Clydesdale Hotel in Lanark, he retired from business in 1993.

In the mid-1980s he became involved with the Pakistan Welfare Association, of which he was made president five times. One of his tasks was to invite politicians to its annual dinners.

Formerly a Labour voter, Mr Ahmad turned to the SNP after inviting Alex Salmond to speak in 1995.

"I liked him, his speech, the way he delivered it and what he said about Scotland. That made me come into politics to do whatever I can do for Scotland," he said.

In 1993 Mr Ahmad stood successfully as councillor for Glasgow Pollokshields East, within the Govan constituency of Labour's first Muslim MP, Mohammed Sarwar.

In 1995 he founded Scots Asians for Independence, and he has been a member of the SNP's national executive committee since 1998.

In May 2007, when Mr Salmond became the first SNP First Minister, he acknowledged Mr Ahmad's arrival at Holyrood, describing the Asian community as "woven into the very tartan of our parliament".

One of the four SNP MSPs elected from the Glasgow region, Mr Ahmad made his affirmation of loyalty in Urdu, and in his maiden parliament speech called for the globalisation of Tartan Day.

Mr Ahmad's position in the Scottish Parliament will be taken by Anne McLaughlin, 42, from Dennistoun, an SNP activist for more than 20 years who was next in line on the Glasgow list.

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