British-Pakistani man wanted in UAE for alleged abuse leading to miscarriage

DUBAI: Zubair Yousaf, a British national of Pakistani descent, is being sought by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after his wife, Gulraz Anjam, reported to the police that he had physically abused her so severely in their Dubai apartment that she passed out and eventually lost their unborn child.

Gulraz Anjam, one of Zubair Yousaf’s numerous wives, filed the complaint with UAE police. According to her report, in April 2024, after she questioned Mr. Yousaf about his affairs and lack of financial support, he became violent. For approximately thirty minutes, Mr. Yousaf allegedly tormented her, dragging her across the ground, strangling her, and forcing her to drink tainted water. This abuse resulted in the loss of their five-month-old unborn child. “In the complaint, I demand that Dubai police detain and prosecute my spouse, Mr. Yousaf, for assaulting me with the intent to abort our child,” she writes.

In her detailed complaint, Gulraz has outlined her husband’s extensive criminal history, claiming that Zubair has been involved in serious criminal activities, including ties with extremist terrorist groups and the criminal underworld. She stated, “Zubair Yousaf engaged in various fraudulent schemes, such as using fake IDs to secure bank loans and purchase properties in the UK. For instance, in 2002/2003, he acquired the Pack Horse Pub for £125,000 under his sister’s name, Afsheen Irfan, who was seeking asylum at the time. Zubair obtained this money through fraudulent means, including using fake IDs and securing bank loans, not only for this property but for several others as well.”

“Between 2005 and 2007, Zubair committed extensive fraud by transferring freehold properties of landlords to fake IDs, amounting to approximately £7 million. These fraudulent activities led to police investigations and registered cases, which can be substantiated with records.”

According to UK records, in 2004/2005, he was arrested and detained after his then partner, Fahdia, accused him of rape and assault in the presence of her daughters. Fahdia, previously married to a leading banker from Pakistan for whom Zubair worked as a driver before immigrating to the UK, later fled to the UK with Zubair and her three young daughters, abandoning her husband. The rape allegations were subsequently withdrawn, and Zubair was released.

Soon after, Zubair fled to Pakistan due to massive banking frauds he had committed, reportedly taking around £6 million obtained through fraudulent means as bridging loans against properties acquired dubiously. “He was involved in money-laundering, banking fraud, forgery, violence, mortgage fraud, and manipulation of the then lax banking system of the UK. He literally stole millions from UK banks,” Gulraz Anjam told Dubai police.

Zubair avoided the UK authorities during 2005-2007 by staying in Pakistan for nine years, leveraging the statute of limitations on civil suits in the UK. Upon returning to the UK in 2015, he established several companies and continued fraudulent activities, including VAT frauds and loan scams, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gulraz Anjam provided the UAE authorities with evidence that Zubair is under investigation by Manchester City Council for falsely claiming business rates relief and by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for VAT fraud. He is also under investigation for loan fraud and bank defaults. According to her, Zubair left the UK three years ago to evade ongoing investigations.

Living in Manchester, Gulraz stated in her complaint that during his stay in Pakistan, Mr. Yousaf developed connections with terrorist organizations such as Daesh and Taliban militants, raising funds for them. His involvement with extremist groups led to his detention and questioning by a Pakistani intelligence agency.

Zubair’s criminal activities extended to property fraud in Pakistan in 2022/2023, involving murder plots and falsified documents, resulting in numerous cases filed against him by the Pakistani government, as documented in FIRs.

Gulraz Anjam also revealed that Zubair has a history of marrying multiple women. Records show he has married around eight women and fathered 10-12 children. He has abandoned most of his wives and currently maintains marital relations with three.