ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has cautioned Britain that it may suspend cooperation on migrant returns if London insists on deporting Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed, describing him as “Britain’s internal problem.”
According to a news story published in ‘The Telegraph‘, officials in Islamabad said Ahmed, 73, had renounced Pakistani citizenship decades ago and spent nearly his entire life in the UK, where he committed serious offences.
“He is a product of British society,” one official remarked, adding that Pakistan would not accept responsibility for crimes committed abroad.
The warning comes as the UK government seeks to remove Ahmed following his release last month after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for multiple child rape convictions.
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has pledged to close a legal loophole that blocked his deportation despite his loss of British nationality.
Pakistan’s interior ministry said the dispute could undermine wider collaboration on security, intelligence sharing and organized crime. “This single case should not be allowed to overshadow decades of close cooperation,” the statement noted.
Diplomatic Strains
Britain has reportedly considered sanctions, including visa restrictions and aid cuts, if Pakistan refuses to take Ahmed back. Islamabad, however, pointed to its record of compliance, noting that 1,437 nationals were returned in 2025–26, a 24 per cent increase on the previous year.
As of June 30, UK authorities held 306 Pakistani nationals in prison, with London pressing for more deportations to ease overcrowding. Islamabad has warned that pressing the Ahmed case could jeopardize future arrangements.
