UK MP Rupert Lowe Demands Strict Pakistan Sanctions Over Convicted Groomer Stance

Lowe, the Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth, has written to the Home Secretary urging immediate action against Pakistan unless it accepts the return of Shabir Ahmed, a convicted groomer who was stripped of his British citizenship in 2012.

Ahmed, part of a Rochdale grooming gang, abused multiple girls in the early 2000s. His citizenship removal was meant to pave the way for deportation, but a legal loophole in the Immigration Act, which protects Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973, initially blocked his removal.

The Home Office has since confirmed that Ahmed's deportation is now possible under updated rules, but Pakistan has reportedly refused to issue the necessary travel documents. Lowe's proposal includes sanctions such as visa bans, aid cuts, and trade restrictions against Pakistan until it cooperates.

A Home Office spokesperson said the government is committed to deporting foreign criminals and is working with international partners to ensure offenders face justice. No official response from Pakistan's government has been made public.