Born in Pak but spoilt in UK: Islamabad refuses to take back grooming gang leader

Pakistan has publicly refused to accept the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the convicted rapist and ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, arguing that the UK, not Pakistan, must take responsibility for his crimes because he "grew up, was raised, groomed and unfortunately spoilt" in the UK.

Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan, went to the UK in the late 1960s, and was one of nine men who were found guilty of exploiting girls as young as 13.

Speaking to the British broadcaster, the BBC, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stated on Thursday that Ahmed's case was "entirely an internal matter of the UK", and that any "decision on his release, supervision or legal status must be dealt with under British law".

Andrabi added that the Pakistani government has "no connection whatsoever with this matter".

"The individual concerned (Shabir Ahmed) is a British national who spent his entire adult life in the UK and was duly convicted by a British court for the reprehensible offences he committed on British soil," Andrabi was quoted by the BBC as saying.

"Regardless of where he was born, the onus lies in where he grew up, was raised, groomed and unfortunately, spoilt," he added.

WHO IS CONVICTED RAPIST SHABIR AHMED?

The remarks by the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson come as London seeks the deportation of 73-year-old convicted child rapist Shabir Ahmed.

Ahmed, who travelled to the UK in the 1960s, was the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, which operated in the towns of Rochdale and Oldham. In 2012, he was convicted of multiple rape and sexual offences, including 30 child rape offences, and was sentenced to 22 years in prison, according to the BBC.

He was released earlier this month after serving 14 years in jail. This was despite the fact that the UK parole board found Ahmed unsafe for release on three separate occasions, even as recently as 2024.

Ahmed was released automatically after serving three-fourths of his sentence under government rules.

London has since then tried to deport the convicted rapist to Pakistan but to no avail so far.

WHY IS THE UK UNABLE TO DEPORT SHABIR AHMED?

Ahmed cannot currently be deported because Section 7 of the UK's Immigration Act 1971 protects certain Commonwealth citizens who arrived in Britain before 1973 and have lived there for at least five years.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to amend the law so such protections no longer apply to foreign nationals convicted of serious offences, including child sexual abuse.

However, even if the law is changed, Britain cannot deport Ahmed unless Pakistan agrees to receive him.

According to The Telegraph newspaper, Islamabad has rejected London's request, maintaining that Ahmed relinquished his Pakistani nationality decades ago and therefore is not Pakistan's responsibility.

British officials dispute this claim, arguing Ahmed never completed the formal legal process required to renounce his Pakistani citizenship.

The Telegraph also reported that negotiations between London and Islamabad over Ahmed's deportation have been under way for nearly a year.

The newspaper, citing Pakistani officials, said Islamabad has linked the issue to its long-standing demands for Britain to extradite several Pakistan-based political opponents living in the UK, including former Pakistani PM Imran Khan's aide Shahzad Akbar, journalist Adil Raja and Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain.

Neither the UK nor the Pakistan governments have officially confirmed such a quid pro quo.

UK FOREIGN SECRETARY THREATENS VISA SANCTIONS ON PAKISTAN

The diplomatic standoff with Islamabad has fuelled calls in Britain for tougher action.

According to The Telegraph, the UK's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Wednesday (July 15) said the government was prepared to consider "all possible levers" to secure Ahmed's deportation, including visa restrictions similar to measures previously used against countries that refused to accept deported criminals and failed asylum seekers.

Andy Burnham, who is set to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister, has described Ahmed as a "vile criminal" who he wants to be deported, according to a report in the BBC.

For now, Ahmed remains in Britain under strict licence conditions. He has been fitted with a GPS electronic tag, is housed in supervised accommodation with 24-hour staffing, and is subject to exclusion zones barring him from Rochdale and Oldham. Any breach of these conditions could see him returned to prison.

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