Mother seeks help from UAE to solve mystery of her missing son

Islamabad: The mother of Muhammad Omer Mateen, Pakistani boy who went missing in United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 2, 2014, has appealed the UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum to investigate the driver’s role in in the case to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her son.

In a mercy petition written to the Prime minister, the aggrieved and ailing mother Khadija Qurban has requested the Prime Minister to arrange for sending back the body remains of her son, in case he has been murdered in UAE. She has also appealed the UAE prime minister for personal hearing of the case.

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 her mercy petition, Omer’s 72-year-old mother, a retired teacher, claimed that the driver kept on changing his statements before Dubai police. “He first stated on March 3, 2014 that he dropped my son in front of bank and when he came to pick him back, Omer had left with cash. In his statement on 14 March 2014, he stated that when he came to bank, Omer gave him AED 100,000 to burn the car. Whereas, on 3 March 2014, the driver stated that he smelt smoke coming out of bonnet and suddenly flames started coming out and entire car was burnt. On 14 March 2014 he admitted that he burnt the car.”

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,” asks the mother. The petition says that the driver has also been threatening the family for following up the case.

“Different versions have been conveyed to us but till today no concrete information has reached us which could conclude the matter based on solid evidence regarding his existence. Numerous reliable persons have informed us that our innocent son was kidnapped and killed for money by driver and his accomplices but driver’s involvement in killing my son was not taken into consideration at any level,” says the petition.

Khadija Qurban 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.”