Police ask for help in countrywide search for missing autistic man

SHARJAH // Police have issued an appeal for help to find an autistic Pakistani man missing from his home in Sharjah for more than a week. Mazz Minaz Mohammed, 20, has not been seen since he was spotted sitting on the staircase of the family home on July 10. His family, who filed a missing person report with police on the same day, have had no news of him since, a police spokesman said.

"We appeal to the public for anyone who has any information regarding the whereabouts of this boy to call police and let us know," he said. Police have received a passport photo of Mr Mohammed from the family and have circulated it across the Emirates to all police stations and hospitals, he said. Autism is a severe developmental disorder that develops as the victim grows. While most autistic children are normal in appearance, their behaviour and reasoning powers are markedly different from those of other children. The family told police that Mr Mohammed could not express himself if asked and would be hard pressed to remember his home address or the names of his family members.

The family told police that Mr Mohammed's sister last saw him on the staircase at around midday on the day he disappeared. "A few hours later he could not be traced and even the neighbours were saying they last saw him on the stairs," the family said in a police statement. Nayab Minaz, Mr Mohammed's sister, declined to comment yesterday. @Email:[e-mail]