A former Pakistani state minister arrested at Manchester airport on suspicion of child rape and trafficking has refused to say when he will return to the UK to face police questioning, following revelations first published by The Guardian.
Rukhsar Ahmed, 55, was arrested on Jul 18, 2024, in connection with allegations that he sexually abused and trafficked at least two underage girls from Manchester care homes during the 1990s.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) sought strict travel restrictions as part of his bail conditions, but a judge rejected the tougher measures.
Ahmed subsequently missed his scheduled police appointment after travelling to Pakistan, claiming he was too unwell to fly.
Within days of missing his police summons, Ahmed won an election as an MP for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.
Located by the Mail on Sunday at his office in Khari Sharif, Mirpur district, the former owner of Manchester's Gujjar Palace restaurant insisted he would return to fulfil his bail conditions, but repeatedly declined to give a specific date.
"Everything is with my legal team in Manchester and London, they told me I can't discuss this," Ahmed said, criticising media coverage as "out of order" and pointing out that he has not been convicted or formally charged.
When asked directly if he had raped two underage girls, he refused to answer.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ahmed wrote: "I categorically deny all the allegations against me and will address these matters through the appropriate forums."
Ahmed is expected to answer police bail within the next six weeks. Should he fail to appear, GMP may issue an arrest warrant or initiate formal extradition proceedings.
Commenting on the case, Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon, noted that the Rusholme area has repeatedly surfaced in grooming gang inquiries over the last 30 years, adding: "Not all of those allegations have been adequately investigated. I hope that a comprehensive investigation is taking place here."
The Guardian has approached Ahmed for further comment.
