According to a report by British daily The Guardian, the 62-year-old politician was arrested by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at Manchester Airport in July 2024. He is accused of involvement in the sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls from a children’s care home in the Rusholme area of Manchester during the 1990s.
Police confirmed that Ahmed was questioned regarding the allegations and subsequently released on police bail. Under his bail conditions, he was scheduled to report to a Manchester police station last month but failed to appear. While his representatives cited illness preventing him from traveling, social media posts simultaneously showed him actively campaigning in the Mirpur region of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Rukhsar Ahmed secured a seat in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly as a candidate for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the party led by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He previously served as a minister in the regional government across various tenures between 2006 and 2021.
The Guardian reported that, while Greater Manchester Police sought strict travel restrictions as part of his bail conditions in 2024, the court did not grant the request.
Investigating officers revealed that Ahmed had resided for a prolonged period in Rusholme, Manchester, where he ran commercial ventures, including a restaurant named 'Gujjar Palace' located on Manchester’s well-known 'Curry Mile'.
Investigators questioned Ahmed following complaints from at least two women who alleged that he was involved in their rape and trafficking when they were minors during the early 1990s.
Police stated that the investigation remains ongoing. Ahmed may be summoned to present himself to police again within the coming weeks. Should he fail to appear, an arrest warrant could be issued against him, potentially initiating formal extradition proceedings.
A senior leader of PML-N’s Azad Kashmir chapter stated that he has known Rukhsar Ahmed for over two decades but was previously unaware of such grave allegations against him.
Attempts to reach Rukhsar Ahmed for comment yielded no response.
