Eight months in the past, Ali Durrani, grabbed his telephone and cap, informed his mum Mahjabeen that he was going out to clear his head and left his residence in south-west Birmingham.
It was regular behaviour for the economics graduate; Ali liked strolling and would exit most days, so when he left at lunchtime, Mahjabeen thought nothing of it. When he hadn’t returned hours later, she began calling spherical his pals, and after it bought darkish, contacted the police.
Ali nonetheless hasn’t returned to his Stirchley deal with to today and his household are determined for solutions.
‘He’s a household individual, we don’t know the place he’s, that is very out of character there was no purpose for us to assume he was not coming again,’ stated his father Khadim, 63.
In the meantime a brand new enchantment from the charity Lacking Folks included a submit that learn: “Eight months have handed since Ali Durrani went lacking. As time goes on, Ali’s household turn into more and more extra fearful for his security.’
The 32-year-old had by no means disappeared earlier than or confirmed indicators of self hurt and wasn’t in any bother. So why hasn’t Ali come residence?
‘There’s no proof of demise anyplace. He didn’t take his passport, or his telephone charger. We don’t assume he’d have killed himself…We’ve requested: “Would he simply go away? Did he simply wish to go away his life and go some other place?” We’re fairly certain he wouldn’t have as a result of he was so family-orientated’, his aunt Naureen Mohammed informed Metro from her residence in London.
Ali had been out of labor for a yr, which had left him feeling anxious, however with plans to arrange his personal enterprise, the household doesn’t imagine he would have harmed himself. ‘We don’t assume he simply walked out of his life. So may he have come to some hurt?’ she asks.
‘He was planning’
The final time Naureen, 52, spoke to her nephew was three days earlier than he went lacking on 5 February and he appeared his regular self when he referred to as her for a Sunday afternoon catch-up.
‘We had a very nice, hour-long chat. He was speaking about his enterprise, I used to be speaking about work, we talked about him coming to remain for a number of days. He was planning, he wasn’t disconnected with the world, or tremendous withdrawn,’ the gross sales director from London stated.
Heartbreakingly, Naureen veered between speaking about Ali up to now and current tense when she spoke on Zoom. The entire household are hoping for him to be discovered however dreading the worst.
‘He wasn’t laddish, he didn’t drink, he wasn’t in pubs or something like that. He was only a homebody; he had a household dinner along with his dad and mom each night. He was near his youthful brother and he was actually into his well being,’ Naureen defined.
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A core a part of the household
Ali is an clever, quiet man who was dwelling along with his dad and mom – which isn’t uncommon for single males in Asian households. ‘He’s very household oriented. I’ve recognized him for 30 years, and he’s most likely by no means missed a celebration. He’s a core a part of the household with a superb circle of shut pals,’ Naureen stated.
Ali’s telephone – which remained switched on for 3 days after he disappeared, has not been discovered. The household rooted by means of his computer systems, checked by means of his emails and social media, utilizing his Apple ID to go browsing, however discovered nothing conclusive to counsel something was amiss.
‘This disappearance is totally out of character. We’ve been asking: “Was there a lady? Was there a boy?” However there was nothing like that.
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‘We predict he’s someplace. {That a} crime has been dedicated, that he’s been damage. There’s no proof of demise anyplace. The police haven’t discovered a physique, so we expect he’s being held,’ Naureen defined.
In the meantime, Mahjabeen and Khadim are left bereft, unable to eat, sleep or take pleasure in their time with their first grandson, Ali’s nephew.
‘When the child was born, the love that that they had as grandparents; you can see it of their our bodies. They’d be glowing. And after I visited not too long ago and so they picked up the child, I couldn’t see the identical feeling. They’ve simply misplaced a lot.
‘They’re like shadows. Their hair’s gone white and so they look so withdrawn. Each second is taken up by “The place’s our son? The place’s our son?” They’re ready for a knock on the door. Pondering – do we have now to be at residence on a regular basis? Can we exit? There may be this anticipated grief and it’s actually taken its toll.’
‘We simply want solutions’
In an announcement, Mahjabeen, 56, stated: ‘We’re dwelling with fixed anxiousness and concern. Our household is incomplete with out him. His father and youthful brother Hammad are distraught. We will’t discover peace or stick with it with our lives whereas Ali is lacking. We simply want solutions.’
West Midlands Law enforcement officials have carried out drone searches, scoured railway tracks, hunted marshes and riverbeds and a ‘digidog’ has been despatched into Ali’s bed room to smell out any hidden sim playing cards or onerous drives that might present solutions. Nothing was discovered.
Be vigilant
Naureen has begged for anybody with any info to contact the police or household. ‘When you have even a tiny piece of knowledge, please get in contact, regardless of how small. As we have now no info in any respect.
‘Earlier than this occurred to us, I’d see Lacking Folks posters and it by no means occurred to me to actually look, or report one thing. However now this has occurred to my household, I’m taking a look at all these homeless folks in London and enthusiastic about what their tales are. I carry spare change with me now, so I may give it to folks.
‘I simply need the general public to be vigilant; to actually look and register his face and for those who see something, please simply telephone the police,’ she added.
The household have been grateful for the assist they’ve had from the Lacking Folks charity.
‘They did an enchantment within the early days and extra not too long ago ran digital billboards at Birmingham New Avenue Station. Their assist has been invaluable; they’re very obtainable and approachable and so they have been vastly empathetic and useful on this tough journey,’ stated Naureen.
As Ali’s case investigation creeps dangerously near being logged as a chilly case by the police, the household stay anguished.
Naureen added: ’Within the UK, 170,000 folks go lacking yearly, and at this timeline, getting to 6 months, just one% are ever discovered. Ali’s is a really uncommon case.
‘We’ve had no sight or sound of him. We’re simply at a loss. If Ali have been to learn this, we simply wish to inform him that we love him. We don’t care what’s occurred. We don’t care what the circumstances are. He’s bought a loving household at residence ready for him, and he’s left an enormous gap in our lives, and we simply need him again.’
West Midlands police commented: ‘We perceive the priority from the household and the misery that they’ve gone by means of since Ali went lacking. Since Ali was reported lacking, we have now contacted the household at key instances. We will likely be assembly with them to offer an summary of the investigation, which we hope will reassure them of the extent of our enquiries.’
Have you ever seen Ali?
You’ll be able to comply with and share Ali’s household’s enchantment on Instagram, TikTok and Fb.
A model of this text was first printed on 16 July 2025.
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