Rukhsar Ahmed
Who is Rukhsar Ahmed? Ex-Pakistani Minister, rape accused in UK, wins PoK polls
Rukhsar Ahmed, a former Pakistani state minister who was arrested two years ago in connection with allegations of raping and trafficking vulnerable young girls in Manchester in the 1990s, has been re-elected as a legislator in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK), media reports said.
Ahmed has been on police bail in the UK since his arrest in July 2024 on suspicion of rape and trafficking children in care as part of a grooming gang, The Guardian reported.
Ahmed, 62, was due to answer bail at a police station in Manchester last month but failed to attend, reportedly saying he was “too unwell to fly”.
However, he was pictured on social media campaigning at several election gatherings in Mirpur, Pakistan, the report said.
Ahmed was elected as a legislator in PoK on a ticket from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
He has served as a minister in various state governments since 2006 and remained in office until he lost his seat in 2021.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had sought restrictions on Ahmed’s ability to travel abroad as part of his bail conditions. However, a judge rejected tougher measures in July 2024, The Guardian reported.
Ahmed was arrested at Manchester Airport on July 18, 2024, in connection with historical child sexual abuse allegations linked to the Rusholme area of Manchester, where he lived for several years.
Detectives questioned him over allegations made by at least two women who claimed that he was involved in raping and trafficking them when they were young girls, according to The Guardian.
The investigation is linked to allegations by several women concerning the sexual abuse of children at care homes in Manchester during the early 1990s, when Ahmed was in his late 20s.
According to the report, Ahmed is expected to answer police bail within the next six weeks.
If he fails to attend, GMP could seek a warrant for his arrest or take steps to extradite him, potentially triggering a diplomatic dispute between the UK and Pakistan.
A senior PML-N leader in Pakistan-administered Kashmir told The Guardian that he had known Ahmed for at least two decades but was unaware of the allegations against him.
“We just heard that he was part of some groups in Manchester in the 1990s. But I personally didn’t know such severe allegations existed against Ahmed,” he said.
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