Nearly one year after a Surrey, B.C., businessman was doused in accelerant and set on fire inside his Whalley currency exchange, the suspect, Kalid Yimer, has been charged with the attempted murder of Rahat Rao.
He remains, however, at large.
The charge against Yimer, 34, was approved on June 26. No court appearances have been scheduled as Yimer is still wanted on outstanding arrest warrants of out B.C. and Alberta.
“The family is very, very scared,” family friend and Pakistan-Canada Association of B.C. president Saif Pannu told Global News.
On Aug. 2, 2024, Rao was at work at his now-closed SNS Currency Exchange near Surrey Central Station when witnesses said he entered a back room with a man they believed was a client.
“After 30 to 40 seconds, I saw Rahat coming out in fires,” recalled witness Zeeshan Wahla in August 2024.
Wahla was one of several passersby who rushed to help Rao, using a blanket and other items to put out the flames.
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The suspect escaped in a stolen vehicle and was identified by RCMP within days as Yimer, who’d been the subject of a June 27, 2024 arrest warrant out of Alberta.
Yimer was to appear in the Edmonton Court of Justice on that date on charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and uttering threats to cause damage.
The accused was not present, according to the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, and an arrest warrant was issued.
“We are really scared that that person is not going to be in jail,” said Pannu.
Pannu said Rao’s wife came to Canada from Pakistan only months before her husband was attacked and badly burned.
“They (Rao’s family members) have quite a bit of concern as why police (are) not able to catch him,” he said.
Rao remains in hospital undergoing reconstructive surgeries, said Pannu, after suffering third-degree burns to more than half of his body in what RCMP believe was a targeted incident.
No motive has been revealed and Pannu said Rao, who used to share Islam outside his business, “never did anything wrong in his life.”
Rao, he said, is also well known as an activist in the local Canadian-Pakistani community and ran a popular YouTube channel, Overseas View with Rahat Rao, where he offered opinions on current issues and politics.
“That’s why the family’s afraid,” Pannu said in an interview. “They don’t know what happened, why that person attempted to murder him.”
Global News requested an interview with the Surrey Police Service (SPS) or RCMP for an update on the file.
The SPS said it spoke with RCMP investigators who advised that there is no update that can be provided publicly at this time, other than to say the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with any information that could lead to the whereabouts of Kalid Yimer is urged to contact their local police.
SPS S/Sgt. Lindsey Houghton also said he’s been asked to hold off on conducting any interviews on the file until at least next week.
“It’s a big mystery,” said Pannu. “That’s why the family is more scared, more upset you know, the person is still at large.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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