Former Pakistani minister on bail over alleged child rape in 1990s Manchester after arrest at airport
Rukhsar Ahmed was arrested at Manchester Airport in July 2024 on suspicion of raping and trafficking children in care in Rusholme. He failed to answer bail last month, claiming he was "too unwell to fly," while being pictured campaigning for re-election in Pakistan.
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A former Pakistani state minister was arrested two years ago on suspicion of raping vulnerable young girls in Manchester in the 1990s, The Guardian can reveal.
Rukhsar Ahmed, 62, was arrested at Manchester Airport on July 18, 2024, on suspicion of rape and trafficking children in care as part of a grooming gang. He was questioned by detectives about allegations from at least two women who said Ahmed was involved in raping and trafficking them when they were young girls.
The ongoing investigation relates to allegations of sexual abuse of children at care homes in the early 1990s, when Ahmed was in his late 20s. The abuse is linked to the Rusholme area, where he lived for many years and owned the Gujjar Palace restaurant near Manchester's curry mile.
Ahmed is on police bail in the UK. He was expected to answer bail at a police station in Manchester last month but failed to attend because he was "too unwell to fly."
At the same time, he was pictured on social media campaigning at election gatherings in Mirpur in northern Pakistan. He was re-elected last week as an MP in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly for the party of Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
Were travel restrictions considered?
GMP had wanted to restrict Ahmed's ability to travel abroad as part of his bail conditions, but a judge rejected tougher measures in July 2024. It is understood detectives only learned about his involvement in Pakistani politics when he was in custody for questioning.
What happens next?
Ahmed is expected to answer police bail in the next six weeks. If he does not attend, GMP may issue a warrant for his arrest or take steps to extradite him, potentially causing a diplomatic row.
The revelation comes weeks after Pakistan refused the UK government's attempts to deport Shabir Ahmed, 73, a freed ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang who was released from jail in July after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for 30 child rape offences.
How is Ahmed regarded in Manchester?
Friends described him as "incredibly influential" in Manchester's Pakistani community. One associate in Rusholme said he was "a man of the people." He is known to have visited restaurants on Stockport Road in Longsight, where people travel from across the
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was Rukhsar Ahmed arrested?
- He was arrested by Greater Manchester Police in July 2024 on suspicion of historic rape and child trafficking offences allegedly committed in the 1990s.
- Where do the allegations stem from?
- The investigation is linked to historic allegations of child sexual abuse involving girls in care homes around the Rusholme area of Manchester.
- What happens if he does not answer police bail?
- If he fails to return to the UK to answer bail, Greater Manchester Police could issue a warrant for his arrest or initiate extradition proceedings.