Do You Recognise Atiya? Mum Fears That Daughter Kidnapped Three Years Ago Has Been Sold To Child Traffickers

Do You Recognise Atiya? Mum Fears That Daughter Kidnapped Three Years Ago Has Been Sold To Child Traffickers

Cavendish

The big brown eyes are the same, and so is the cute smile, but this is only a computer-generated impression of what little Atiya Wilkinson might look like – but it is the only hope her distraught mum has.

For Atiya was kidnapped three years ago – and now her distraught mum, Gemma, is hoping that someone, somewhere will recognise the daughter she hasn't seen since she was snatched by her father.

Gemma Wilkinson, 32, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, has not seen Atiya since her third birthday in 2009.

PA

After a planned day trip to the seaside, Atiya's dad, Razwan Ali Anjum, 28, abducted his daughter to his native Pakistan before contacting her mother saying: "You'll never see your daughter again."

The little girl has not been heard of since and now it is feared she may have been sold by her father to another family living in Pakistan or Iran.

Anjum – who has dismissed Gemma as 'only a birth mother' - returned to the UK less than a fortnight after he flew out and is now serving a fourth consecutive jail term for contempt after refusing to reveal Atiya's whereabouts.

Now, on what would be Atiya's sixth birthday, a photograph has been released of what Atiya would look like today as a tearful Gemma pleaded for information about her daughter.

"I pray she's OK but we don't have any proof that she's OK and no proof she is even still alive," she said.

"It's been discussed that she could have been sold, but I don't want to believe it.

"As far as I'm aware she hasn't been with any family member so I can only assume she's with strangers.

"To know that she's safe, to know that she's being looked after, to know where she is.

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A child doesn't disappear, doesn't evaporate. A child is put somewhere and people know - and that information needs to be talked about.

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Gemma met Anjum in 2003 while they were on the same college course at Oldham Business Management School. Atiya was born on November 7, 2006, but Gemma ended her on/off relationship with Anjum in 2008 because he was possessive and controlling.

Anjum then swore revenge on her and during an access visit on the Atiya's birthday he said he was taking his daughter to Southport.

Instead, he took her to Lahore where he claimed she was staying for a week with relatives. Atiya was supposed to share a flight with her grandmother on November 16, but the grandmother came back alone.

Anjum himself returned to the UK on November 20 without his daughter and he was arrested.

He claimed he handed Atiya to a mystery man called Khan and she was taken to Iran.

Gemma said: "It's been an absolute nightmare. When I close my eyes I see Atiya. I say good night to her every night before bed.

"I just want Atiya back home but her father's just not prepared to back down - he's not prepared to work with the police.

"He's enjoying playing his controlling mind games. It's just sick."

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