Rukhsar Ahmad, a former state minister of Pakistan, has been arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of involvement in sexual violence against underage girls and human trafficking. The Guardian reported this.
The 62-year-old politician has been involved in an investigation into crimes committed in Manchester in the 1990s. He is suspected of involvement in sexual assault and child trafficking.
It has become known that Ahmad has currently been released on bail and remains under police supervision. Nevertheless, he was recently elected as a member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from the party led by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
It is stated that Rukhsar Ahmad was arrested at Manchester Airport on 18 July 2024 in connection with a case of sexual violence against children. Investigators questioned him based on complaints that at least two women had been subjected to violence and trafficked during their childhood.
The matter concerns crimes committed in the early 1990s, when Ahmad was about 30 years old, against residents of children's homes in Manchester.
Manchester police tried to ban him from leaving the United Kingdom, but in July 2024 the court rejected the request to tighten his bail conditions.
In July 2026, Ahmad was supposed to come to the police station. However, he cited that he "could not fly due to illness." At the same time, photos circulated on social media showing him participating in pre-election events in the city of Mirpur in northern Pakistan.
If he does not come to the police within the appointed time, law enforcement agencies may issue a warrant for his arrest or initiate an extradition process.
Rukhsar Ahmad is considered a representative of the center-right Pakistan Muslim League. He worked in various ministerial positions in the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2021.
According to investigators, they only learned about Ahmad's political activities during the questioning process. He is also the owner of the "Gujjar Palace" restaurant in Manchester.
