Controversy Erupts Over Return of Pakistani Child Sex Offender Shabeer Ahmed, UK Government Displeased with Islamabads Conditions

Lahore, July 18: The UK government is facing a significant diplomatic challenge regarding the return of Shabeer Ahmed, a notorious child sex offender born in Islamabad, Pakistan. Ahmed, the leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, was convicted of 30 counts of child rape and sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Earlier this week, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper indicated that if Pakistan refuses to accept this sex offender, the British government might take action against Islamabad. Cooper stated that the government is considering “all possible means” to address the situation.

While speaking before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Cooper highlighted that the UK government has successfully persuaded several countries to accept foreign criminals. She warned that sanctions could be imposed on those nations that do not comply.

Recent figures seen by the Daily Mail indicate that Pakistan is set to receive £155 million in foreign aid over the next three years, as reported by The Telegraph.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andhrabi publicly stated that the Pakistani government will not accept Shabeer Ahmed back. Reports suggest that Pakistan is demanding the extradition of two political opponents from the UK in exchange for accepting Ahmed.

Having spent 14 years in prison, Ahmed was released earlier this month. Although his British citizenship was revoked, he cannot be deported to Pakistan due to a 55-year-old provision in the 1971 Immigration Act. This rule protects individuals who arrived in the UK before 1973 and resided there for at least five years.

Ahmed was sentenced to 22 years in 2012, and his British passport was canceled in 2016 to facilitate his removal from the country post-release. However, victims were promised that he would be deported from the UK.

According to a 219-page parliamentary inquiry report prepared by a private fund on organized child sexual exploitation in the UK, at least 250,000 girls and possibly more children have been victims of gang rape, human trafficking, torture, and forced pregnancies over several decades.

The report noted that a significant number of the accused came from Pakistani Muslim backgrounds, while the institutions that failed to prevent these crimes were primarily British state entities.