Reform UK’s spokesperson for home affairs has accused the government of being ‘traitors to their country’ over the deportation of Shabir Ahmed.
Zia Yusuf questioned Pakistan’s refusal to take the criminal back after receiving ‘billions’ in aid (Image: Getty)
Zia Yusuf has slammed Labour and the Conservatives as “traitors” for “handing Pakistan billions in foreign aid” only for the country to refuse to take back a grooming gang leader. Reform UK’s spokesperson for home affairs said consecutive governments had “sold” voters out by failing to ensure Shabir Ahmed, leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, could be deported from the UK after his prison term.
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. The Government has been examining ways to deport him since his release last week, reportedly looking to find a loophole in a 1971 law that forbids the removal of a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago.
Pakistan is not expected to accept him back, however, complicating the issue further. Mr Yusuf said in a post on X: “Over the last 20 years, Tory and Labour governments have sent £6billion of your money in foreign aid to Pakistan in real terms. They issued 2million visas to Pakistani nationals. All in the name of soft power.”
Shabir Ahmed was released from prison earlier this month (Image: Greater Manchester Police/PA Wire)
“Yet the Rochdale monster, convicted of raping 30 girls as young as 12, ‘cannot be deported’ because Pakistan is refusing to take him back,” he added.
“How powerful do you feel right now? The Tory Labour uniparty have betrayed hardworking Brits, sent our treasute abroad and allowed the rape of British girls by foreign nationals.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp also waded into the debate, writing: “Countries who do not take back their own citizens from the UK – whether criminals or illegal migrants – should have foreign aid suspended and face visa sanctions until they comply.”
Reporting by The Times suggested Pakistan was demanding the extradition of two political dissidents from the UK in order to accept Ahmed, but the Prime Minister’s spokesperson refused 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 spokesperson said.
“But as we’ve set out previously, this is a complex case with both domestic and international implications.
“Any removal requires co-operation from another country to accept an individual back. Previous governments have experienced similar challenges in other grooming gang cases.”
Home Office minister Alex Norris indicated that the Government could consider emergency legislation to remove Ahmed following his “heinous” crimes and said “all options are on the table”.