LONDON: The Shabir Ahmed deportation row has triggered warnings from British-Pakistani figures that visa restrictions or aid cuts against Pakistan could damage bilateral relations and carry political costs for UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
A Daily Telegraph investigation found divided views over whether Pakistan should accept Ahmed, the convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang. Several community figures opposed penalising Pakistan over its refusal to receive him.
The British government is seeking Ahmed’s removal after his release from prison in July. He served 14 years for multiple rape and sexual offences against girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Pakistan maintains that Ahmed is not its citizen and says the crimes and prosecution were British matters.
Mahmood, who was reappointed home secretary on July 20, plans to change provisions linked to the Immigration Act 1971. These currently prevent Ahmed’s deportation because he settled in Britain before 1973.
Birmingham solicitor Akhmed Yakoob accused Mahmood of using the case for political purposes. He said he would raise the issue with voters if he contested another election. Additionally, he argued that Britain should accept responsibility for residents who have spent most of their lives in the country, while condemning Ahmed’s crimes.
Mahmood defeated Yakoob in Birmingham Ladywood in the 2024 general election by 15,558 votes to 12,137. This gave her an official majority of 3,421.
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Liberal Democrat peer Lord Shaffaq Mohammed supported Ahmed’s return to Pakistan but warned that a diplomatic breakdown could affect development assistance and wider economic relations. Furthermore, London-based lawyer Ayesha Ijaz Khan said Pakistan was entitled to reject Ahmed because he had renounced Pakistani citizenship and lived in Britain for nearly six decades.
The UK has reportedly kept possible visa restrictions under consideration, although no confirmed sanctions package against Pakistan has been publicly announced.
