Call for action over suspect in
fire which claimed eight lives

The house fire in Osborne Road, Birkby, Huddersfield killed three generations of the Chishti family – five sisters, their mother, uncle and grandmother – in May 2002.

Three Huddersfield men were jailed in 2003 for their part in the attack but Shahid Mohammed fled after being arrested and released on bail.

He is believed to be in Pakistan, although he also has links with London, Birmingham and Leicester.

Huddersfield Labour MP Barry Sheerman is demanding to know what is being done to track down Mohammed and bring him back to the UK to face the courts.

Mr Sheerman claimed certain people in Pakistan knew Mohammed’s whereabouts and said he is intending to raise 
the issue of the investigation 
with with the Foreign Office and the High Commission for Pakistan.

He asked: “What can we do to track him down, bring him back to face justice and give comfort to the Chishti family?”

The MP said he remained in touch with a member of the Chishti family.

“The father asks me when he is going to get justice,” he added. “I am not going to give up on this.”

West Yorkshire Police yesterday made a fresh appeal for information about Mohammed’s whereabouts.

Assistant Chief Constable Jawaid Akhtar said: “We have continued to appeal to the public for information and been conducting other enquiries in an effort to locate Shahid Mohammed.

“We are aware of the comments that Mr Sheerman MP has made in Parliament and we will follow up any developments arising from those comments in order to bring Shahid Mohammed to justice.”

A Government spokeswoman declined to comment.