The Pakistani government is standing firm on its decision not to recognize the leader of the Rochdale grooming gang as a Pakistani citizen. Despite claims by the gang leader, Shabir Ahmed, that he renounced his Pakistani citizenship, officials in Pakistan maintain that he is no longer a citizen of the country. This stance by Pakistan has become a significant obstacle to his deportation back to his country of birth.
British authorities are in disagreement with the grooming gang leader’s assertions, while Pakistani officials and ministers assert that he has forfeited his Pakistani citizenship, preventing his repatriation. The UK government views Pakistan’s refusal to accept Ahmed as a more challenging barrier to his deportation than addressing a legal loophole in the 1971 Immigration Act that hinders his removal as a Commonwealth Citizen. A government source highlighted the complexity of resolving the issue related to the 1971 Immigration Act compared to the Pakistani aspect of the situation.
Shabir Ahmed, who held dual citizenship and left Pakistan in the late 1960s, served a 22-year prison sentence starting in 2012 for multiple child rape offenses. Despite being stripped of his UK passport in 2016 to facilitate his deportation upon release, his return to Pakistan is impeded by the country’s stance on his citizenship status. His victims were assured of his deportation after his release from prison.
A comprehensive report revealed that a significant number of girls, estimated at least 250,000, endured horrific experiences of gang rape, trafficking, torture, and coerced pregnancy over many years. The perpetrators, predominantly of Pakistani Muslim heritage, and the facilitating institutions, largely within the British state, were implicated in these heinous acts. The findings were part of a detailed inquiry into organized child sexual exploitation in the UK, conducted by the Rape Gang Inquiry chaired by Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe and operational leader Sammy Woodhouse, a survivor and advocate. The inquiry, funded by numerous donors, featured testimonies from survivors, whistleblowers, politicians, and experts during public hearings.
