MORE than twelve weeks have passed since Newport teenager Nida Naseer disappeared from her home and her father says he believes something may be “stopping her” from getting in touch.

Nida was last seen on Saturday December 28 at 8pm at her family home on Linton Street, Pill. Within two hours and after going out to look for her, the family had reported her missing.

“We were more in a state of shock rather than suspicious at that time,” said her father, Naseer Tahir. According to him, his 19-year-old daughter never went out on her own and never stayed away from the home. “She would come home straight from college with her sisters she would never stay after college. She did have lots of friends but she would never go out to see them or invite them over either.”

These friends, from Coleg Gwent and the community, have been part of the search effort to find her.

Mr Tahir said: “They’ve all been very co-operative, the community and the friends, they cry for her whenever they meet. They come together and talk about her – they are all very upset.”

Superintendent Mark Warrender, said: “It really is a mystery. There is usually some information that would lead us to certain lines of enquiry, but in this case we’ve had to keep an open mind.”

But the mystery isn’t just about where she is now, but why she left in the first place.

Her father said: “We don’t really understand why she left home. But we were having an argument – the whole family were sat together and she was upset and she left. But we don’t exactly know what upset her so much. “ The argument was about university and the fact her family’s failed asylum status prevented Nida from going. Crowded onto the family’s coffee table today, were trophies and medals Nida had won for her academic achievements.

“She missed university last year and would have missed it again this year. She was concerned about her asylum case and how it is progressing,” said Mr Tahir.

“She was upset and she was quite concerned about her future education and about going to university. She often talked about it but the family argument was just something on top of what she had already been worrying about.

“She was very worried the girls who achieved lower grades than her have gone to university and she hasn’t been able to get a position.”

In video appeals and numerous press appearances, Nida’s family have constantly assured her she is not in trouble and not to worry.

“She’s probably hesitating. In our culture we don’t consider the police involvement as something good- so she might be thinking it gives the family a bad name because the police are involved and it happening because of her.

“It’s also possible she’s in some kind of trouble that she can’t get in touch with us. We don’t know what kind of trouble but because we know that she loves us and she would have definitely been in touch with us she would know how we would be feeling now. Maybe something is stopping her and she’s unable to get in touch even if she wants to.”

Despite over 630 lines of enquiry being generated, police are no closer to finding Nida and her family are now struggling to continue life without her.

Mr Tahir said: “We’re all very upset. We cannot get on with our daily routines. We’re thinking about her all the time when we’re eating when we’re sleeping – life isn’t the same without her.”

In the time since she has been missing, Nida’s 19th birthday and her brother’s birthday has passed and her two-year-old nephew has been asking after her.

“It’s very difficult to explain anything to him because we don’t have an answer to this question of where she is,” said Mr Tahir.

“She missed her younger brother’s birthday in March. She was aware of it and if she wasn’t in any kind of trouble she would have definitely contacted us on his birthday. I’m sure there is something preventing her or stopping her doing that.

“If she’s with friends, they won’t stop her getting in touch with us. Friends don’t do that.

“Whoever she is with, whoever is responsible for this – they should put themselves in our shoes. She is our daughter, a sister. If someone goes missing from their house how would they feel? They should realise how sad it is she has been missing for such a long time and we don’t know where she is.

“They can stay anonymous just let us know where she is and that she is safe.”

Superintendant Warrender added: “ I really hope that she is out there and not choosing to come home.”

Nida is of Asian-Pakistani appearance and has long dark hair, is slim and is five feet three inches tall. She was last known to be wearing blue jeans and a black top.

Gwent Police have a dedicated team of officers working on Nida’s case and ask if anyone can help with the enquiries to find her, they are asked to call 101 and quote log number 448 28/12/13.