TOBA TEK SINGH: Relatives of a Pakistan-origin man residing in Kuwait, who has been missing along with his family, have sought the authorities’ assistance to confirm whether the family had been killed in an incident involving missile debris after interception.

Muhammad Saleem, a brother-in-law of the missing person, Waqas Ahmed, shared a copy of a letter with Dawn that he said he had sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The letter states: “I am writing to seek your urgent assistance regarding my brother-in-law, Mr Waqas Ahmad, who, along with his family, is currently untraceable in Kuwait under extremely concerning circumstances.”

Saleem said in the letter that Waqas was residing in Kuwait with his family. “The household consisted of five members: four Australian nationals, including Mr Waqas Ahmad, and his wife, who is an Egyptian national.”

He further stated that recently, “we received a WhatsApp call from an individual identifying himself as Zeeshan … who claimed to be their neighbour in Kuwait. He informed us that he had met my brother-in-law shortly before Mr Waqas Ahmad planned to travel by road to Saudi Arabia due to the deteriorating security situation”.

“A few hours later, the same individual contacted us again, stating that he had received information from Mr Waqas Ahmad’s father-in-law (an Egyptian national). According to him, while travelling on the highway, a missile interception incident caused debris to strike an oil tanker near their vehicle, resulting in a massive explosion involving approximately ten vehicles.

“He further informed us that: Mr Waqas Ahmad, his wife, and their elder daughter passed away at the scene. Their son and younger daughter were reportedly admitted to a hospital but later succumbed to their injuries on 31 March 2026,” the letter read.

He said when “we requested hospital details or contact information of the father-in-law to verify this information, the caller declined to share any details and stated he would confirm later”.

“Since then, he has not responded to our calls and only sends occasional messages without providing any further information. … Our family is in extreme distress and uncertainty.

“We respectfully request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to verify the authenticity of this incident, assist in locating official records from hospitals or authorities in Kuwait, facilitate contact with relevant officials or the family’s known associates and provide any available information regarding the status of Mr Waqas Ahmad and his family,” Saleem appealed in his letter.

Dawn reached out to the Foreign Office on the matter, but there was no immediate response.

Separately, Waqas’ younger brother, Zeeshan, told the media that Waqas worked as an electrical engineer for an Australian company, which had sent him to Kuwait for a project a few months ago.

“He was reportedly travelling to Saudi Arabia with his family on March 30 in a car to avoid missile attacks during the US-Israeli war on Iran. But, debris of a missile, which was destroyed mid-air on the highway, reportedly killed Waqas, his wife, Farah, and their 18-year-old daughter Komal on the spot. His 13-year-old daughter, Fatima, and 16-year-old son, Abdullah, died in a local hospital in Kuwait,” Zeeshan narrated.

He said 10 days had passed since the incident, but no information had been shared by the Pakistani embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Zeeshan said they had last spoken to Waqas on March 27 by phone and there had been no contact since.

“His phone is switched off,” he said.

Zeeshan and his mother appealed to the government to seek information about Waqas and his family with them and share it with them.

Gulf states had been facing missile attacks during the now-paused US-Israeli war on Iran as Tehran targeted US bases and assets.

Four Pakistanis are confirmed to have been killed due to falling debris from missile interceptions in the United Arab Emirates.