In May 2010, the month after Mr Khan’s release, two Ahmadiyya mosques in Pakistan were attacked by extremist Islamist militants, killing nearly 100 people.
Source/Credit: Liverpool Echo
By Helen Davies | MarCH 22, 2014
Lawyer who fled from Pakistan to Liverpool to escape kidnappers tells of ordeal in his home country
Former supreme court lawyer who fled from Pakistan to Liverpool to escape kidnappers has relived the 19-day ordeal in his home country.
Iftikhar Khan was dropping his children off at school near their home in Pakistan when he was targeted by a gang of men with guns.
He said: “They threw me in a car, blindfolded me and tied my hands.
“They started beating me and told me to keep quiet.”
Mr Khan, who was one of the top lawyers in his country, was attacked by a group who disliked the Ahmadiyya religious group he is part of.
The father-of-three was kept blindfolded for the whole 19 days he was kidnapped.
He was fed small amounts of flatbread each day and beaten often.
Twenty days after his capture Mr Khan was released on three conditions: the payment of a large sum of money by his family, that he would act for his kidnappers as a lawyer in any future cases and that he would take part in a press conference portraying his attackers in a positive light.
In May 2010, the month after Mr Khan’s release, two Ahmadiyya mosques in Pakistan were attacked by extremist Islamist militants, killing nearly 100 people.
With the threat of another kidnap or even murder, it became clear to Mr Khan that he and his family would not be safe if they stayed in Pakistan.
Before the trouble started the family, who had a large house with maids in Pakistan, had planned a holiday to England but their trip ended up being as asylum seekers.
Mr Khan, his wife and their three children travelled to London where they worked with the Home Office who arranged for them to move to Liverpool and be granted asylum.
He said: “I had no other option but to leave my home town. It was a very hard decision for my family and I to leave.
“We had never thought about leaving before this happened.”
Mr Khan says life for Ahmadis is still very dangerous in Pakistan and he doubts if he will ever be able to return.
Pakistan is the home to the largest population of Ahmadis in the world but although Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, under Pakistani law they are classed as non-Muslims.
Sunday marks the 125th anniversary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worldwide.
Although many of their beliefs, such as their use of the Koran, are similar, there are differences between the faiths which make Islamic extremists angry.
One of these is that Ahmadis believe a man called Ghulam Ahmad, who was born in 1835, was sent by God to guide mankind.
Mr Khan believes it was his religion which helped him and his family through their horrific experience.
He would have to do a legal conversion course to be able to practice law in England but says he is still keen to use his skills.
He is looking for work but in the meantime is keeping busy volunteering for Liverpool Citizens Advice Bureau, for charity Refugee Action and in a solicitors’ practice.
He has also helped with the Merseyside Independent Advisory Group to Merseyside Police and as a trustee of Toxteth Town Hall.
He said: “I’m still looking for work to be a positive man in society. I want to use my skills to help people.”
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