Pakistani ex‑minister Rukhsar Ahmed skips UK bail hearing in Manchester grooming‑gang case

Rukhsar Ahmed, a former Pakistani state minister and newly elected member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly for the Pakistan Muslim League‑Nawaz, was arrested at Manchester Airport on 18 July 2024. He is suspected of raping and trafficking vulnerable girls in Manchester during the 1990s as part of a grooming gang linked to the Rusholme area.

Ahmed was released on police bail in the UK but failed to appear at a bail hearing, claiming he was “too unwell to fly”. At the same time, social‑media footage showed him campaigning in northern Pakistan. Greater Manchester Police had sought to restrict his travel abroad, but a judge rejected those conditions in July. The investigation continues and could lead to a warrant or extradition, raising the prospect of a diplomatic row between the United Kingdom and Pakistan.