Islamabad, Aug 18 (IANS) Pakistani authorities have threatened that they would stop taking back illegal immigrants if Britain tries to force Islamabad to take back the notorious grooming gang ringleader, the UK media reported.
Leading UK daily ‘The Telegraph’ noted that Pakistani officials are aggrieved at the suggestion by the UK government that it is ready to impose sanctions, which include banning visas for Pakistanis seeking to go to the UK and withholding foreign aid if Islamabad continues to refuse to take back child rapist Shabir Ahmed.
Ahmed, whose country of birth is Pakistan, was released from prison recently after serving 14 years of his 22-year sentence for 30 child rape offences.
“It comes as Andy Burnham is seeking to increase the deportation of foreign offenders as part of efforts to create more space in overcrowded prisons and reduce the need for the early release of more criminals. There were 306 Pakistanis held in UK jails as of June 30,” the Telegraph reported.
Currently, the UK Ministry of Defence is spending thousands of Pounds to accommodate Ahmed, who is electronically tagged and geographically excluded from Oldham and Rochdale, where he lived and committed the majority of his crimes.
Last month, political parties in the United Kingdom urged the Labour Party to stop all foreign aid to Pakistan and impose visa sanctions until Islamabad takes back the child rapist.
Interestingly, the UK government has signed a three-year, GBP 153 million foreign aid package to Pakistan.
“Pakistan. No foreign aid. No visas. Until you take back rapist Ahmed,” Richard Tise, Deputy Leader of Reform Party, wrote on X.
“The fact Labour plans to continue to send them aid is proof the political class do not care about the British people. Reform will stop foreign aid and visas issued to Pakistan immediately,” Zia Yusuf, Reform Party’s home affairs spokesperson, was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
“The fact Labour have approved £153m aid for Pakistan when they are refusing to take back Shabir Ahmed tells you all you need to know,” UK’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel, said, adding, “No surprise that Labour slipped this out on the last day of this session of Parliament, so nobody can hold them to account,” noted the report.
–IANS
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