LAHORE: Pakistani citizen and UK resident Syed Hussain Ali has gone missing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to TFT, Ali’s father Syed Asim Ali said that he just wrote a letter to the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan and also requested the Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwarul Haq Kakar to personally look into this.
“We request the foreign office to find about the whereabouts of our son,” he said.
Asim maintained that his son flew out from Lahore Pakistan on Monday 28 August at 11:40am on Saudi Airlines SV735. He landed in Jeddah at 14:50 pm, local time.
Hussain had an eighteen hour transit and obtained a visa at the airport to perform Umrah.
“At the airport he messaged via WhatsApp using the Wi-Fi of a restaurant. He traveled to Mecca Sharif, performed Umrah and called us via Messenger video call from McDonald's restaurant just opposite the Haram,” he recalled while adding that this was between 12:30-1:00 am and this was his last communication with us.
Asim said that Hussain told them that since his flight onwards from Jeddah to London, SV119 was scheduled for 9:05 am he wanted to spend a couple of more hours in the Haram.
“He also said that he would take a taxi to Jeddah and that he had negotiated a lower fare also,” added Asim.
Hussain was carrying just his laptop, phone, wallet and a change of clothing in his laptop bag.
“He had only $100 on him and the rest of the expenditures he would pay using his debit and credit card,” Asim said.
In his letter to Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Asim mentioned that they have not heard from their son since that time.
He did not board his flight to London.
“Normally he is very communicative. It is very unlike him to not be in touch especially when he may know that we are waiting to hear from him,” Asim said.
Asim further wrote that he would like to file a missing persons report.
“His passport, his entry stamp Whatsapp picture and a screenshot when he was on call in Mcdonalds in Mecca Sharif are all there,” he stated sharing images.
He requested the ambassador to do his best to have his son located and retrieved safely.
“With all good wishes and prayers,” Asim concluded.
Speaking to TFT, his mother Munazza Ali said that her son Syed Hussain Ali went to perform Umrah.
“Last I spoke to him 26 hours ago he never boarded his flight back to London please pray that we find him there is no contact with him since,” she said with tears in her eyes while adding that she won’t be able to survive without her son.
Hussain is a highly educated bright young professional who did his first degree from in Management and Law and is currently finishing a second degree in Filmmaking from the London Metropolitan Film school.
Hussain’s father who hails from Shah Jewna is one of the leading educationists in Pakistan while his mother is a housewife. Hussain is also a close relative of former federal minister and senior PPP leader Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat.