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Canadian parliamentarian Iqra Khalid is marking her 10-year anniversary as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga–Erin Mills. Elected in 2015, Khalid was one of only two Pakistani women elected to government that year.
“It feels like the work never stops! When I first got elected, I was 29 years old and when I first sat in my seat at the House of Commons I was like, ‘now what am I supposed to do’? And I’ve spent the past 10 years trying to find my way and to figure out what my community wants and what it is at the national level I can do. There’s been lots of wins and a few losses, but all in all I think it’s been an amazing journey.”
Born in Pakistan and raised partly in Manchester, Khalid recalls experiencing racism and a sense of otherness during her early years abroad. She described being subjected to racial slurs as a child, an experience she said was confusing and frightening.
“It was a little bit frightening for me, because I didn’t really understand why.”
After moving to Canada at the age of 12, she found a stronger sense of belonging, though challenges persisted as one of the few brown students in a predominantly Caucasian school. Despite these experiences, she says Canada has always felt like home.
These early experiences continue to shape her public service. She states, “Yes this is my home. I want to make sure that other kids don’t face the same challenges that I had to face when I was growing up.”
Khalid credits her family, particularly her parents, for encouraging her ambitions and supporting her entry into politics. She recalls her father urging her to run for office, despite her initial hesitation.
“My dad came up to me and was like ‘Hey! You should run for office!’ And I was like ‘Daddy, no, you’ve got three sons. Ask them to do it’,” she said.
Her involvement in political organizations during university, along with her work in nonprofit and advocacy spaces, helped shape her political path. Family, she noted, has remained central to her journey.
“My parents and my brothers have been the biggest shapers of who I am…they balance out society’s negatives of racism and discrimination. Never making me feel I’m lesser because of my gender.”
A key focus of Khalid’s work has been combating discrimination based on race, religion, culture, and gender. Among her notable initiatives was Motion 103, which called on the Canadian government to condemn religious discrimination, including Islamophobia.
The motion faced significant backlash, including accusations from critics that it sought to introduce religious law into Canada. “They started this whole campaign around how I was trying to bring Sharia law into this country and needed to be stopped,” she said.
Khalid shared that the passage of the motion was a defining moment in her career. “For our parliament to acknowledge that islamophobia is real, that was the crux of my emotion.”
Throughout her career, Khalid has emphasized the importance of public engagement in democratic processes. Offering advice to young South Asians interested in politics, she underscored the need to build a connection with governance.
“You have to connect with the government and your representatives. Laws are still going to pass whether you vote or not. When you use your voice, you have a better chance of saying this is what I want for my future.”
She also highlighted the importance of inclusive leadership and balancing cultural identity within a broader national context.
“The biggest test of democracy is when we move into a meritocracy, when we see minorities being elected into office, I would hope it’s a test of meritocracy where people look past differentiating factors and say is this person going to represent me effectively or not… I think it’s important we need to own that we’re South Asian Canadians and we need to travel with both cultures.”
Over the past decade, Khalid has remained focused on community service and advocacy, encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue leadership roles.
Looking ahead, she said her core mission remains unchanged.
“Ultimately, I think my objective for the rest of my life is to build better communities for everyone. When I was seeking my nomination to become the liberal candidate, my slogan was inform, reform, and empower. Now 10 years later it’s remained the same,” she emphasized.
