LONDON – Newly elected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly Rukhsar Ahmed has rejected allegations linking him to a UK grooming gang investigation, saying he is innocent.
Ahmed, a former AJK minister, was reportedly arrested at Manchester Airport in July 2024 over allegations concerning the rape and trafficking of at least two underage girls from care homes in Manchester’s Rusholme area during the 1990s.
He was subsequently released on bail and travelled to Pakistan. He reportedly missed a scheduled appointment with British police after informing authorities that he was too unwell to return to the UK.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ahmed categorically denied the allegations and said he would deal with the matter through the appropriate legal forums.
“I categorically deny all the allegations against me and will address these matters through the appropriate forums,” he said, adding that on the advice of his lawyers, he would not comment further while the case remained under investigation.
Ahmed was elected on a PML-N ticket in the first phase of the ongoing AJK elections, securing a seat in the legislative assembly.
During a recent interaction at his office in Khari Sharif, Mirpur district, Ahmed said he intended to return to Britain to comply with his bail conditions but did not provide a specific date.
He said his legal representatives in Manchester and London had advised him not to discuss the allegations publicly.
Ahmed also rejected criticism surrounding the media coverage, stressing that he had neither been convicted nor charged in connection with the allegations.
When asked directly about the accusations involving two underage girls, he declined to respond in detail and reiterated that he had nothing to do with the allegations.
Ahmed served as a minister in various AJK governments between 2006 and 2021, when he lost his assembly seat.
The allegations under investigation relate to claims made by several women concerning the sexual abuse of children in care homes in the Rusholme area during the early 1990s, when Ahmed was in his late 20s.
British police had reportedly sought tighter restrictions on Ahmed’s international travel as part of his bail conditions, but a judge did not approve the additional measures in July 2024.
He is expected to report to police within the coming weeks as part of his bail requirements. Failure to appear could potentially lead to further legal action, including an arrest warrant or extradition proceedings.
Greater Manchester Police has declined to comment on the individual case, citing its policy of not discussing specific investigations.
