Pakistan rejects any pressure over UK grooming gang case, says Shabir Ahmad is Britain’s responsibility

ISLAMABAD/LONDON: Pakistan has firmly rejected any suggestion that it should accept responsibility for convicted UK grooming gang offender Shabir Ahmad, insisting the matter falls entirely within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.

Responding to questions during the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan “strongly condemns” child sexual abuse and believes perpetrators of such heinous crimes must be investigated, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law, irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion.

The spokesperson stressed that the individual concerned is a British national who spent his entire adult life in the UK and was convicted by a British court for offences committed on British soil.

“The matter in question is entirely an internal matter of the United Kingdom,” Andrabi said. “Any decision regarding his release, supervision or future legal status falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the competent British authorities and must be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom.”

In a pointed remark, he added: “Regardless of where he was born, the onus lies on where he grew up, was raised, groomed and, unfortunately, spoiled. His heinous crimes demand serious introspection rather than a quest to search for extraneous causes.”

The Foreign Office also categorically rejected any link between Pakistan and the case.

“The Government of Pakistan has no connection whatsoever with this matter. We cannot be associated with any decisions relating to the individual’s release or subsequent treatment under British law,” Andrabi said.

Background

The statement comes amid renewed political debate in Britain over historical child sexual exploitation cases involving organised grooming gangs. The issue has returned to the centre of public discussion following the UK Government’s announcement of a statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs and continued scrutiny of the handling of offenders after they complete prison sentences.

Some political figures and commentators have argued that foreign-born offenders should be deported after serving their sentences where the law permits. However, legal options depend on an individual’s nationality, immigration status and the UK’s domestic laws. British citizens cannot generally be deported from the United Kingdom.

Pakistan’s remarks appear intended to rebut suggestions circulating in parts of the debate that Islamabad should bear responsibility for, or become involved in, the case of Shabir Ahmad. The Foreign Office maintained that because the offender is a British national who lived his adult life in Britain and committed his offences there, responsibility for all legal decisions rests solely with the UK authorities.

The spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan unequivocally condemns child sexual abuse and supports the prosecution and punishment of offenders, while emphasising that the UK’s criminal justice system alone is responsible for decisions concerning the convicted offender’s imprisonment, release and supervision.