Ravensthorpe man fights for justice after father’s death in Pakistan

Mohammed Akram, 56, died in Pakistan on May 26 in suspicious circumstances.

His son, Sahid, said Pakistani police were not investigating the death properly and has asked the UK government to step in.

But despite his pleas for help, he does not think British authorities have done enough.

“I have been sent from door to door and turned away,” he said.

“I can’t seem to find anybody that’s willing to take this on board and help.”

Sahid, 26, said his father had gone to Pakistan to try to sort out a land dispute. But while there, he was taken ill and died.

Mr Akram’s family believes he could have been deliberately poisoned and are worried that police in Pakistan will not get to the bottom of what happened.

Sahid said a Pakistani court had made an order to allow a murder investigation to go ahead and a police officer was put on the case, but the officer would not meet family members for several days.

He said his mother had been visiting the local police station in Pakistan every day and had waited for as long as 12 hours for a meeting, only to be told to return the next day.

“There is no investigation happening,” Sahid said.

Mr Akram, of Batley, had been staying with family in Kingfisher Crescent, Ravensthorpe, for around two months before he made the trip to Pakistan.

Sahid, who is also from Batley but staying in Ravensthorpe with a brother, said he had contacted the British embassy in Pakistan with his concerns about the investigation.

He was told that there was nothing the UK government could do to help, but the British High Commission in Pakistan is in contact with local police.

Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Simon Reevell said he was aware of Sahid’s concerns.

“He got in touch with us as a constituent to say he was concerned about the outcome of the investigation. We have raised his concerns with the Foreign Office and we are confident they have been passed on.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We are providing consular assistance to the family and liaising with local authorities.”

“The British government cannot interfere in the judicial systems of other countries, just as we would not allow any interference in our own.”

“The investigation is the responsibility of the Pakistani police and judicial authorities.”