Former Pakistani Minister Under UK Investigation Elected to Azad Kashmir Assembly

Rukhsar Ahmed, a former Pakistani state minister who is under investigation in the United Kingdom over allegations of child sexual abuse and human trafficking, has been elected to the Legislative Assembly of Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a report by The Guardian, the 62-year-old politician was arrested at Manchester Airport in July 2024 over allegations that he was involved in the sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls from a children's care home in Manchester's Rusholme area during the 1990s.

The report said Ahmed was later released on police bail while the investigation continued. He was required to report to a Manchester police station last month as part of his bail conditions but failed to appear. His representatives reportedly claimed he was unable to travel due to illness.

However, photographs circulating on social media during the same period showed him campaigning in Mirpur, Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir.

Ahmed contested the election as a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and was elected to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He previously served as a state minister in various administrations between 2006 and 2021.

The Guardian reported that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) sought stricter bail conditions in 2024, including restrictions on overseas travel, but the court did not approve those measures.

Investigators say Ahmed lived for many years in Manchester's Rusholme area, where he also had business interests. He owned the former Gujjar Palace restaurant near the city's well-known "Curry Mile." The restaurant is now reportedly closed and abandoned.

Police questioned Ahmed following complaints from at least two women who alleged that they were sexually abused and trafficked by him while they were minors in the early 1990s.

According to police, the investigation remains ongoing, and Ahmed may be required to appear before investigators again in the coming weeks. If he fails to comply, authorities could seek an arrest warrant and potentially initiate extradition proceedings to return him to the UK.

A senior PML-N leader in Azad Kashmir told the media that he had known Ahmed for more than two decades but was previously unaware of the serious allegations against him.

Ahmed has not publicly commented on the allegations despite attempts by the media to contact him.

The case has drawn renewed attention as discussions continue between the United Kingdom and Pakistan over the return of convicted offenders and cross-border legal cooperation.