The United Kingdom has indicated that it could consider visa restrictions on Pakistan as diplomatic tensions grow over the proposed deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang. However, Pakistan has firmly rejected any responsibility for the case, insisting that it is entirely a matter for British authorities.
Speaking before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the British government was prepared to explore all available measures to ensure countries accept the return of individuals Britain seeks to deport. She stated that Ahmed should no longer remain in the UK and confirmed that discussions with Pakistan regarding his deportation would continue.
Although Cooper did not announce immediate action, she acknowledged that visa restrictions remain one of the options under consideration. She noted that similar measures had previously encouraged cooperation from other countries in accepting deported foreign offenders and failed asylum seekers.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office responded by strongly condemning child sexual abuse while making it clear that Islamabad has no connection with Ahmed’s crimes or the legal decisions surrounding his imprisonment and release. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Ahmed spent his adult life in Britain, committed his offences there, and was convicted under British law. Therefore, Pakistan considers the matter an internal British issue.
Andrabi emphasized that the Pakistani government cannot be linked to Ahmed’s release or legal status, adding that responsibility lies with the country where he lived and committed the crimes. He argued that Britain should focus on addressing the failures within its own system instead of shifting responsibility elsewhere.
Shabir Ahmed, now 73, was convicted in 2012 for rape and multiple sexual offences involving vulnerable girls in Rochdale. He received a 22 year prison sentence and was released earlier this month after serving 14 years. Although he was stripped of his British citizenship, his deportation remains blocked under provisions of the Immigration Act 1971. The UK government is now planning legal amendments that would make it easier to deport foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes, but any removal would still require another country to formally accept the individual.
