BringPerwezHome: Missing 15-year-old had never been away from family

Sharjah - The Sharjah Police have launched a city-wide hunt for the boy.

Indian father of four Mohammad Aftab Alam clutched a printout of his 15-year-old son Mohammed Perwez's picture in his left hand, and a misbaha (Islamic prayer beads) in his right. The printout is a 'missing person' poster carrying a recent photo, a short description with phone numbers, and details about Perwez's physical appearance.

Also read: Hunt for missing 15-year-old Indian boy in Sharjah ramped up

Missing since July 4, the Sharjah Police have launched a city-wide hunt for the boy, who reportedly snuck out of his home in Muweilah after being chided for watching a serial on YouTube late into the night. The missing case has sent shock waves through the community.

Read on: His mother hasn't slept for days, says missing Sharjah teen's father

The distraught father said: "Have you heard anything about my son? Do you think someone took him? Or is he purposely hiding from us? We will never shout at him ever again," said the distraught father. "Since his birth, he has not been away from us for more than an hour. It has been 14 days since we saw him. Wherever he is, anyone who has him, we just pray to Almighty Allah that he comes back to us."

Where could Perwez have gone?

Located behind Delta English School, the family's one-bedroom apartment is among the several three-storeyed buildings in Muweilah's school district. There was an eerie silence around Alam's building.

Perwez's sisters Sana Anjum (12), Asiya Aftab (8) and Alsafa Aftab (6) are worried sick. The oldest of the three, Sana Anjum, said: "We have had small fights, but he was always happy. He never mentioned that he was unhappy or something was wrong with him."

Pointing to the roof of the building, Alam said: "The cops searched for him on the roof, stairways ... We even looked at construction sites. We checked every building in this locality."

Since there are virtually no CCTV cameras in the area, the family says it is has been more challenging to find him.

Their mother, Tusi Parveen, was struggling to hold back tears. When asked why she yelled at him, she said: "He had a Quran test in the morning. I only asked him to go to sleep because it was getting late. He didn't seem angry. As a person, he is very calm."

Jumping to her defence, Alam said: "Like all children their age, the siblings fight and bicker. We reprimand them as well. But which child is not mischievous at this age?"

Prayers, hopes

Holding her hand a little above her head, Parveen said Perwez is a few inches taller than she is. "Since he has just returned from Umrah, his hair is short."

Suddenly, she slumped back into the couch and started praying. "I just want him back."

Staring out of a window in their living room, Alam said: "When he played under the building, she would always keep an eye on him from here."

As school was closed for the summer, Perwez spent most of his time playing with the kids in his neighbourhood and the mosque near his house. He would go for Quran classes in the evening, and return home to have dinner and sleep. That fateful night, he decided to watch videos on his father's mobile phone. After being reprimanded by his parents, Perwez may have stepped out of the house anytime between 1:00am and 4:00am.

"A calm, happy boy"

Being her firstborn, Alam said Perwez is close to his mother. "However, he is an independent boy. After coming back from school, he would head straight to the kitchen to eat food. He enjoyed good food. He would speak to his mother about things that bothered him," he said.

Perwez is a bright student, the family said. "He would score good marks. For his age, he is a smart boy. He always got over 80 per cent marks in his exams. We don't even have a TV in our house so that the children can focus on their studies," said Alam.

He has certificates from his school for reciting the Quran. A neighbour said: "His voice is so sweet while reciting the Quran. It felt like the blessings from him reciting the Quran would reach even our home."

Concerned neighbours

Perwez's friend and neighbour Omar Imtiaz's mother Ayesha said the boy was like a son to her.

"The family is very sweet and we all live in harmony. They helped me immensely when my son was sick and took care of him like their own. I cannot believe that this is happening to them."

Perwez's 13-year-old friend Ishan said: "He's always happy. I don't know what went wrong. He never said he was upset or angry."

The family desperately awaits Perwez's return. The sisters said they miss their brother and are worried for him.

Alam said: "If something happens to him, my wife is never going to forgive herself. How can I take care of these small girls with my wife like this? If anyone has seen him, anyone, please just bring him back to us. We just want our son back."

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