Pakistan set to DEFY Shabana Mahmood's new law to deport grooming gang ringleader

Pakistan is unlikely to take back the Rochdale grooming gang leader who was released from prison last week.

This is despite plans by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to change the law to allow the deportation of Shabir Ahmed from the UK.

Ms Mahmood is expected to set out proposals on Monday to amend a 1971 law preventing his removal.

Ahmed was released on July 2 after serving 14 years since his conviction in 2012 for rape and sexual offences against girls, some as young as 12. He had been sentenced to 19 years in prison.

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The Government has been examining ways to deport him since his release last week. The 1971 law forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago.

Ms Mahmood is expected to detail a way to close the loophole in the Immigration Act which prevents his deportation even though he has already been stripped of his British citizenship.

However, GB News understands Pakistan is not expected to accept Ahmed.

The country is demanding the extradition of two political dissidents from the UK in order to do so, The Times first reported.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman declined to comment on "speculation about specific proposals".

"We are exploring every available option in this case, and that includes talking to the Pakistani authorities," the official told reporters today.

"But as we’ve set out previously, this is a complex case with both domestic and international implications.”

He said: “Any removal requires co-operation from another country to accept an individual back."

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• Labour will change the law 'as quickly as possible' to deport Shabir Ahmed, MP tells GB News
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• 'Should have been done 14 years ago!' Maggie Oliver scolds Labour's 'knee-jerk' reaction to deporting Shabir Ahmed

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp told the People's Channel Labour needed to suspend visas and foreign aid to Pakistan unless they were willing to take their criminals back.

Mr Philp said: "Every country, including Pakistan, should take back their own citizens who commit crime in the UK or are here illegally. We take back UK citizens in those circumstances, and they should do the same.

"Vile paedophile child rapists who came here from Pakistan should all be deported back. We should stop all overseas aid and issuance of new visas for Pakistani citizens to come here until they take Ahmed and those like him back.

"It's simple: no visas and no aid until Pakistan takes back all their citizens here illegally or who are criminals."

It is not clear whether Ms Mahmood’s planned changes will come under separate fast-tracked legislation or as an amendment to the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is due to be debated in the Commons on Monday.

A Home Office minister indicated earlier this week the Government could consider emergency legislation.

Alex Norris said “all options are on the table” as the Conservatives urged him to adopt an amendment to the Bill put forward by the shadow home secretary.

Ahmed is currently exempt from deportation, but Mr Norris said the Government would not give up in its efforts to deport him due to his “heinous” crimes.

Former director of public prosecutions Max Hill told Times Radio the UK would have to explore alternatives if Pakistan would not accept Ahmed.

He said: "I think it’s on the UK state to ensure that any danger he does represent is one which is met with the force of the law and that his victims and those close to those victims are protected by the British state.

"I can see that there’s political expediency in trying to change this very old loophole to try and get rid of the problem.

"But if that doesn’t work, then the British state will have to go about it another way and put the victims of this grooming gang first."

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