Ayaz Ahmed, 61, dies 14 hours after arriving in Pakistan on ICE flight
Family and witnesses report signs of distress during the 38-hour journey, while a postmortem found no signs of external trauma.
By Rebecca Svoboda ·
Ayaz Ahmed, a 61-year-old Chicago-area resident with no criminal record, died 14 hours after landing in Pakistan on a flight chartered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The former Morton Grove business owner was detained in June for overstaying a visitor visa and remained in federal custody for approximately two months before his removal. His children say he suffered from multiple chronic medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, which they repeatedly communicated to ICE officials and the Pakistan Consulate in Chicago.
ICE detained Ahmed at the Clay County Justice Center in Indiana. According to his son, Jawwad Mehmood, Ahmed was placed in medical isolation after requesting medical attention. His daughter, Saleha Sahar, recalled her father telling her, "I can't breathe. I can't sleep." Sahar stated the family offered to purchase his plane ticket to expedite his return to Pakistan.
On July 29 at 7:25 a.m., Ahmed boarded a GlobalX flight departing from Fort Worth, Texas. FlightRadar24 data indicates the aircraft stopped in Maine, Iceland, Bulgaria, and Georgia before arriving at a Pakistani Air Force Base on July 30 at 9:41 p.m. Two individuals detained on the same flight told Ahmed's family that his condition deteriorated during the trip. One witness said Ahmed urinated himself by the time the plane reached Iceland. Another witness said Ahmed fainted immediately upon disembarking in Pakistan.
"The moment he fell, he should have been looked upon. All they did was take him, took him, and put him in the FIA offices, where they interrogated us," one witness said. The Federal Investigations Agency in Pakistan, known as the FIA, transported Ahmed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. A postmortem report obtained by the family states Ahmed was "brought dead" to the facility on July 31 at 11:43 a.m.
PIMS doctors noted there were no signs of torture, assault, strangulation, or hanging on Ahmed's body. The report indicated his cause of death was handed over to FIA officials. Neither the FIA nor PIMS responded to repeated requests for comment. FIA officials paid for Ahmed's burial in Karachi, his birthplace, but provided no further details to the family.
ICE disputed the family's account of his condition during the flight. A spokesperson stated in a written statement that no medical emergencies occurred, no signs of distress were observed, and no individuals required hospitalization. ICE said Ahmed received his scheduled medications and noted that it has no authority over detainees after they are transferred to their home government's custody. "Any claims of neglect or mistreatment," the spokesperson added, "are categorically FALSE."
Hashim Siddique, the family's attorney, questioned whether ICE had Ahmed's medication and whether medical aid was administered during the flight. "The exact passing of Mr. Ahmed, and his lack of identification or other belongings, draws into question whether ICE actually had his medication en route," Siddique wrote by email. Former ICE acting director John Sandweg said political pressure to increase removals can lead to difficult decisions. "If ICE wasn't under this political pressure.. the flight would have turned back to make sure the individual got the medical care he needed," Sandweg said.
Ahmed's children now manage the mortgages and rent payments their father previously handled. Mehmood said the family is still seeking answers from both the U.S. government and the Pakistan Embassy. "He did not deserve to die just because he didn't have a green card," Mehmood said.
