Pakistan tells Miliband: We're not taking back Rochdale grooming gang leader, during first meet

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 11:03 EDT, 28 August 2026 | Updated: 11:19 EDT, 28 August 2026 Ed Miliband’s efforts to deport the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang came to nothing this week after Pakistan refused to take him back.Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, informed Mr Miliband in a meeting on Thursday Pakistan would not accept Shabir Ahmed back because it was not legally bound to do so.Pakistani officials told their British counterparts they ‘currently do not have any legislation or formal mechanism under which we can take him back’.Ahmed, who was convicted of 30 child rape offences, was released in July this year after serving 14 years behind bars.While he has been stripped of his British citizenship, ministers are facing difficulties deporting him because Commonwealth citizens arriving in Britain before 1973 are protected from removal under archaic legislation.Pakistan has long claimed Ahmed is Britain’s responsibility as he renounced his Pakistani citizenship long ago, and has spent virtually his entire life in the UK.Mr Miliband, who Andy Burnham made Foreign Secretary on entering No 10, pressed Mr Dar to consider taking the criminal back in a meeting at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for the pair's first meeting. Ed Miliband ’s efforts to deport the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang came to nothing last week after Pakistan refused to take him back Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, informed Mr Miliband in a meeting on Thursday Pakistan would not accept Shabir Ahmed back because it was not legally bound to do so Ahmed, who was convicted of 30 child rape offences, was released in July this year after serving 14 years behind barsBut sources told The Telegraph, which first reported the meeting, that a deal could only be reached if Britain handed over Pakistani dissidents – a move it is thought the Government would unlikely agree to.This comes as taxpayers are forking out thousands of pounds to ensure Ahmed is monitored after being released from jail.The grooming ringleader is now subject to electronic tagging and barred from entering certain zones in Oldham, where he lives, and Rochdale, where he committed many of his crimes.He also is under round the clock supervision at a bail hostel and is banned from contacting certain people.Commenting on Mr Miliband’s failure to reach a deal with Pakistan, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf said: ‘Over the last 20 years, Tory and Labour governments have sent £6 billion of British taxpayer money in foreign aid to Pakistan in real terms.‘They issued 2 million visas to Pakistani nationals. All in the name of 'soft power'. Yet Pakistan won’t even take back the Rochdale Monster. 'They betrayed British people and will pay the price.’A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are pursuing every available lawful option to deport this criminal, working with the government of Pakistan.‘We will not give a running commentary on discussions.’