Islamabad: The new government has brought new hope to the elderly and ailing couple that is running from pillar to post to look for help in order to get information regarding their son Omer Mateen who mysteriously disappeared in UAE in 2014.
In a mercy petition written to Prime Minister (PM) Iman Khan, Qurban Hussain Raja, father of Omer Mateen, has requested the PM to take up the issue with the PM UAE and deal with the case as ‘top priority’ as has been recommended by the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights in its meeting held on February 16, 2016.
Father of the missing 28 year old missing boy also urged PM to take measures as has been taken in the case of late Dr Imran Farooq besides directing Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) to arrange remittance of AED 14597 balance standing in bank account of Omer in Dubai as on March 2, 2014 and to grant Rs 1m on account of insurance to his wife and 6 years daughter being legal heirs.
In his letter, the father also requested the PM to direct Chairman State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan to grant payment of premium paid at Rs6031 per year from 2011 to 2014 and bonuses accrued till discontinuation for policy of Rs103000 No 6035653330-0 (dated 31.12.2011).
On March 2, 2014, Omer mysteriously disappeared while on his way to office after en-cashing an amount of AED 1.5 million from a bank on behalf of his company. Since then, the family including mother, father and wife of the youth, have been running from pillar to post but no one seems to have a clear answer. Instead of helping them, the law enforcement agencies of UAE suspected Omar Mateen ran off with the money.
Omer was taken to bank by driver, Aamir Khan, in company's hired car. It is learnt that cheques were en-cashed but Omar did not reach his office or residence. The car was found burnt and the driver was arrested by the police. Driver was released but later on he was re-arrested while sending money through Hundi to Pakistan. Police accepted his new statement that he shared money with Omar but showed ignorance about the latter’s whereabouts. Police accepted the new statement accordingly and courts sentenced him 3 years term jail and to Omar as well (in absentia). On appeal the sentence was reduced to 9 months with deportation. Driver came back to Pakistan on December 21, 2014.
In a mercy petition written to UAE PM on June 19, 2018, Omer’s 72-year-old mother Khadija Qurban, a retired teacher, claimed that the driver kept on changing his statements before Dubai police. The petition mentions that the driver came back to Pakistan, built a palace type house in his native village and purchased big costly cars. “The question arises, how a driver can acquire such properties,” asked the mother. The petition says that the driver has also been threatening the family for following up the case.
Khadija says that the family has spent their lifetime savings on this case but there is no result in sight. “We are now a wrecked and shattered family. We have no answers of the questions of young educated wife and 5 years daughter of my son. We have knocked every door but with no outcome of the mystery of disappearance on my son till to-date.
Talking to The News, Omer’s father Raja Qurban Hussain, former Deputy Commissioner Income Tax, said that facts and circumstances clearly suggest that crime of kidnapping, snatching money and killing was committed in territory of UAE hence state of UAE cannot absolve itself to investigate this basic aspect totally ignored in investigation done in 2014.”
The couple has also filed a fresh mercy petition to Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar for recovery of the body remains of their son if he has been killed and buried under the sands of UAE. “We want justice for our son. We want answers. Many have suggested us to forget the case bus how can we forget our son? He is before our eyes all the time. We can’t eat anything without him. We can’t rest. We can’t talk about anything but Omer. We hope high from new Prime Minister. We are sure that he will take stand for us. Life of a Pakistani citizen is as important as the life of any other citizen in the world,” said Qurban while talking to ‘The News’.