The government of Pakistan is stonewalling British efforts to deport Shabir Ahmed, a convicted ringleader of a notorious 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, Pakistani officials are now claiming they have 'no connection whatsoever' to the criminal.
Tahir Andrabi, a spokesman for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, audaciously suggested that the UK should take full responsibility for the man, claiming he was 'spoiled' while living on British soil.
This refusal highlights a massive failure in immigration and deportation policy, as current laws—specifically the Immigration Act 1971—are being used as a shield to keep foreign criminals in the country.
While the UK government is now scrambling to amend legislation to allow for the removal of such offenders, the process remains stalled by the lack of cooperation from foreign nations.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has rightly suggested that the government should consider robust measures, including suspending bilateral aid and imposing visa sanctions, to compel Pakistan to accept the return of their own national.
Meanwhile, the victims of Ahmed’s heinous crimes remain in fear, forced to live in the same country as the man who destroyed their lives. It is a damning indictment of a system that prioritizes the legal protections of foreign criminals over the safety and security of British citizens.
Tags
