Rukhsar Ahmed, a Pakistani MP and former state minister, has reportedly declined to say when he would return to the UK to face rape charges. Mr Ahmed was arrested at Manchester airport in July 2024 on suspicion of raping and trafficking at least two underage girls from care homes in Manchester's Rusholme area during the 1990s.
He was released on bail and travelled to Pakistan nearly two months ago, missing a police station appointment after stating he was too unwell to fly back. Days later, he was elected an MP for prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s centre-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.
Mr Ahmed, 55, was located in his office in Khari Sharif, Mirpur district, on Sunday. According to the Mail on Sunday, he told a reporter he would fly back to Britain to meet his bail conditions, but declined to give a date. He stated, "Everything is with my legal team in Manchester and London, they told me I can’t discuss this."
On Friday, Mr Ahmed published a statement on Facebook denying all allegations and stating he would address them through appropriate forums, adding he would not comment further on legal advice. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had reportedly sought to restrict his ability to travel abroad as part of his bail conditions, but a judge rejected tougher measures in July 2024.