Srinagar, Nov 11: Aged father of two Kashmiri businessmen who went missing after their arrest in Nepal in 2000, on Thursday made a fervent appeal to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to help him in ascertaining their whereabouts.
Abdul Ahad Rah, 75, of Sheikh Mohalla, Maharaj Gunj was living a happy life as his two sons Muhammad Shafi Raha,35, and Mushtaq Ahmad,30, were successfully running their leather business in Nepal.
But destiny had something else in store for the family. On September 5, 2000 a joint team of police from Nepal and New Delhi launched a crackdown on Kashmiri businessmen in Nepal following the hijacking of an Indian airliner.
As fate would have it, Rah’s two sons were among the arrested. “I was shocked to hear that my sons have been arrested without any reason. I at once rushed to Nepal. I was told by the police there that my sons have been shifted to Jodhpur jail,” Raha told Greater Kashmir.
Hoping against the hope to meet his sons, Raha rushed to Jodhpur jail. “Initially, the jail authorities acknowledged that they were detained in the jail. They asked to me get permission from a Srinagar Court to meet them. With no option, I returned to the Valley and got the permission. But I was shattered when the jail authorities denied that my sons were ever lodged there,” he said.
Raha said some persons told him that his sons were lodged in “Kashmir Terrorist Cell” in New Delhi. But on a visit there, the officials denied that the duo was there.
“For past over a decade, I have been searching for my sons but all my efforts have proved futile. I have even approached the Apex Court but the Government of India is not filing its report. I and my ailing wife, who has lost her eyesight, are living a miserable life. Our last wish is to see our both sons,” Raha said and broke down.        
“I make a fervent appeal to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to help me to locate my sons. I want to know are they dead or alive?” he said.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST