Grooming gang suspect who flew to Pakistan and got elected as an MP while on bail for rape refuses to say when he will return to Britain

By ABUL TAHER and KHURRAM SHAHZAD IN ISLAMABAD Published: 21:00, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 21:00, 8 August 2026 A grooming gang suspect who managed to fly to Pakistan and get elected as an MP while on bail for rape refused to say when he would return to Britain. Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed, 55, was arrested at Manchester Airport in July 2024 on suspicion of raping and trafficking at least two underage girls from care homes in the city’s Rusholme area during the 1990s. He was released on bail but fled to Pakistan nearly two months ago, missing an appointment at a police station after telling officers he was too unwell to fly back to the UK. Just days later, he was elected an MP for prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling party. A Mail on Sunday reporter tracked Ahmed down to his office in the village of Kharri Sharif, Mirpur, where he was healthy enough to hold court for a steady stream of officials and guests on Friday. When asked about the allegations against him, Ahmed dismissed them as ‘propaganda’ spread by British Indians to damage his election campaign. He insisted he would fly back to Britain to meet his bail conditions, but when pressed to give a date, he refused to answer. Pressed further on the rape allegations, he said: ‘Everything is with my legal team in Manchester and London, they told me I can’t discuss this. Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed (pictured), 55, was arrested at Manchester Airport in July 2024 on suspicion of raping and trafficking at least two underage girls from care homes in the city’s Rusholme area during the 1990s Ahmed (centre) was released on bail but fled to Pakistan nearly two months ago. Just days later, he was elected an MP for Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling party 'What they done, this media in the United Kingdom and Europe is out of order. I have not been convicted of anything nor charged for anything, so what is going on?’ He added: ‘I don’t want to discuss it, because if I discuss it, things may go wrong.’ Asked directly whether he had raped two underage girls, he refused to answer, telling the MoS reporter: ‘You are doing wrong now, I told you not to talk to me like this... please don’t talk to me like this, I told you I have nothing to do with it, okay.’ The investigation is understood to be part of a wider inquiry into allegations of historic sexual abuse of children at care homes in Manchester in the early 1990s, when Ahmed was in his late 20s and living in the city. On Friday, Ahmed published a statement on his Facebook account, saying: ‘I categorically deny all the allegations against me and will address these matters through the appropriate forums. On legal advice, I will not comment further while these matters remain ongoing.’ He is expected to answer bail within the next six weeks - and faces an arrest warrant and extradition proceedings if he fails to appear. On Saturday Greater Manchester Police declined to comment, saying it does not discuss individual cases.