Jamil Fakhri’s son: US declines request to hand over body

Foreign Office spokesman says family has to make personal appeal.

ISLAMABAD: The US has turned down Pakistan government’s request to hand over the body of Ali Ayaz Fakhri, the son of renowned actor Jamil Fakhri, a foreign office official said.

“The US government has informed us that since Ali Ayaz Fakhri was an American national, therefore they cannot entertain our request,” the official told The Express Tribune. He said the US would hand over the body only to the relatives and heirs of Ayaz Fakhri. “We have informed Jamil Fakhri that he has to make a personal request to the American authorities for bringing back his son’s body,” the official added. Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit confirmed the development.

On Tuesday, the long ordeal of Jamil Fakhri’s efforts to find his missing son ended with pain when Pakistan Embassy confirmed the death of Ayaz Fakhri. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani informed Jamil Fakhri about the death of his son over the telephone after receiving his DNA report.

“The New York Police have found the torso of Ayaz Fakhri’s body,” the foreign office official said.  The 32 year-old Fakhri had gone missing some 22 months ago in New York. But no one knew about the tragedy until Jamil Fakhri appeared on a private TV channel last week and sought help.

He criticised the foreign ministry for lack of cooperation in his efforts to recover his son. But the moment his message went on air, the government machinery swung into action in no time and even Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called the actor to assure support.

Ayaz Fakhri had been living in America for the last 10 years, according to his father Jamil Fakhri. He had a masters in business education and was working as a taxi driver. Ali, who was divorced, was the eldest among Fakhri’s four sons. Another son of the actor is settled in Canada while the other two live in Lahore.

However, the Associated Press of Pakistan said the Pakistani embassy has finalised all arrangements with New York Police Department to take the possession of Ali Fakhri’s body for transportation to Pakistan as soon as possible. The embassy is also in touch with the bereaved family in Pakistan and brother of the deceased, Shahbaz Fakhri, who is based in Canada will be traveling to New York to accompany Ali Fakhri’s body to Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2010.