The UK government is facing a diplomatic roadblock in its attempt to deport Shabir Ahmed, a convicted ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang who preyed on girls as young as 13.
Despite Ahmed being stripped of his British citizenship following his 2012 conviction for multiple counts of rape and sexual offenses, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is flatly refusing to cooperate, claiming the country has 'no connection whatsoever' to the predator.
Spokesman Tahir Andrabi insisted that Ahmed is an 'internal matter' for the United Kingdom, effectively washing Pakistan's hands of a man who committed heinous crimes on British soil.
Ahmed, who arrived in the UK in the late 1960s, was released on license this month after serving a portion of his 22-year sentence, sparking outrage among his victims who now feel unsafe.
While Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is pushing to amend the outdated 1971 Immigration Act—which currently protects certain Commonwealth citizens from deportation—the reality remains that the UK is stuck hosting a vile criminal because his country of origin refuses to accept him.
For now, Ahmed remains under electronic monitoring, but the failure to remove him underscores the dangerous consequences of legal loopholes and the lack of international accountability for foreign-born criminals.
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