Rochdale grooming gang leader Shabbir Ahmed
Pakistan has told Britain that it must extradite political dissidents living in the UK if it wants Islamabad to accept the extradition of convicted Rochdale gang leader Shabir Ahmed.A senior Pakistani government official told The Telegraph that the UK should “respect the issues that matter” to Pakistan rather than resort to “arm-twisting” and threats over Ahmed’s return.These statements indicate that Pakistan seeks to link any potential agreement on Ahmed’s extradition to its long-standing demands for the extradition of several UK-based political figures and activists wanted by Islamabad.
Who is Shabir Ahmed? ?
Ahmed, 73, who was called “Father” by his victims, was one of the leaders of the Rochdale grooming gang. He was convicted in 2012 of 30 child rapes and sentenced to 22 years in prison for grooming vulnerable girls as young as 12, supplying them with alcohol and drugs, and organizing their repeated sexual abuse.He was released last week after serving 14 years of his sentence.Ahmed arrived in Britain from the Pakistani province of Punjab in 1967 at the age of 14. He held dual British-Pakistani citizenship before he was stripped of his British citizenship in 2016.
Why can’t Ahmed be deported?
Despite losing his British citizenship, Ahmed was not deported due to legal protection under Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971. This section excludes Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1 January 1973 and settled there, maintaining rights that were originally intended to protect the Windrush generation.Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood is considering repealing relevant provisions of the law, while the Interior Ministry said all options, including emergency legislation, are still under consideration.
Pakistan’s previous position on Ahmed
The latest position represents a continuation of Pakistan’s previous argument that Ahmed cannot be deported simply because Islamabad no longer considers him a Pakistani citizen.According to The Telegraph, Pakistani ministers had previously told the UK that although Ahmed was born in Pakistan, he left at around 13, spent more than six decades in Britain and renounced his Pakistani citizenship.A Pakistani minister was quoted as saying, “He is not our citizen,” adding that although Ahmed’s crimes were “inexcusable,” it was Britain’s responsibility to deal with him.Pakistan also refused to take back Ahmed and two other Rochdale gang leaders because they had renounced their Pakistani citizenship.
Islamabad seeks to extradite dissidents
According to The Telegraph, Pakistan is now asking Britain to extradite several political dissidents and activists living in the UK. They include Shahzad Akbar, Imran Khan’s former aide, journalist and former military officer Adil Raja, and Altaf Hussain, founder of the London-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement.“There are people using British soil to destabilize Pakistan,” the unnamed official told The Telegraph, accusing Britain of applying a “double standard” by citing human rights and protecting freedom of expression while rejecting Pakistani extradition requests.The official also claimed that negotiations over Ahmed’s future had been ongoing for nearly a year, and claimed that Britain had threatened to impose visa restrictions and cut aid if Pakistan continued to refuse his return.Pakistan has indicated that it is prepared to think “outside the box” and “outside normal procedures” if the two sides address each other’s concerns, The Telegraph reported.Britain is also considering diplomatic measures, including possible visa sanctions, although it is seen as a last resort option if negotiations fail.