Pakistani-origin Humza Yousaf resigns as Scotland’s First Minister

Humza Yousaf, the Pakistani-origin Scottish National Party (SNP) leader who heads the devolved government in Scotland, on Monday announced his resignation after days of political turmoil which has thrown the regional SNP-led administration into doubt.

Yousaf, 39, took over as Scotland's first Muslim and also the region's youngest First Minister in March last year.

Last week, he ended a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Green Party amid growing policy differences and plunged his leadership of a minority government into crisis. 

His former Green Party allies then teamed up with the Opposition Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties to back two non-confidence motions one in Yousaf's leadership of Scotland and the second regarding the Scottish government as a whole.

Yousaf, of Pakistani and Kenyan heritage, paid tribute to the UK's diversity and also referenced Rishi Sunak as Britain's first Hindu Prime Minister in his resignation speech.

He will remain in his post until a replacement First Minister is chosen in the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. It marks a time of upheaval for the pro-independence SNP even though the outgoing leader claimed Scottish independence feels frustratingly close.

The Opposition parties welcomed his resignation, with the Scottish Tories saying Yousaf had averted a humiliating defeat at a vote of no confidence later this week and the Labour Party demanding a UK-wide general election soon for a fresh start across the country.

Meanwhile, the race to replace Yousaf has commenced, with party veteran John Swinney an ex-deputy to former first minister Nicola Sturgeon leading the fray.

Swinney said he had been "overwhelmed" by messages from colleagues asking him to contest and will have to consider before making an announcement in the coming days.

Stephen Flynn, who represents the SNP as a member of Parliament in the House of Commons in London, and Kate Forbes, who lost out to Yousaf previously, are among the other contenders. 

Forbes, who spent some of her formative years in India where her parents worked as Christian missionaries, had been Yousaf's closest rival in last year's SNP leadership election.