London, July 20 (IANS) Political parties in the United Kingdom (UK) are urging the Labour Party to stop all foreign aid to Pakistan and impose visa sanctions until Islamabad takes back the child rapist and ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang.
The UK government is trying to deport Shabir Ahmed to Pakistan, his country of birth, as he was released from prison recently after serving 14 years of his 22-year sentence for 30 child rape offences, leading British daily ‘The Telegraph’ reported. However, Pakistan has refused to take Ahmed back.
It has been brought to the limelight recently that the UK government has signed a three-year, GBP 153 million foreign aid package to Pakistan.
“Pakistan. No foreign aid. No visas. Until you take back rapist Ahmed,” Richard Tise, deputy leader of Reform Party, wrote on X.
“The fact Labour plans to continue to send them aid is proof the political class do not care about the British people. Reform will stop foreign aid and visas issued to Pakistan immediately,” Zia Yusuf, Reform Party’s home affairs spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
“The fact Labour have approved £153m aid for Pakistan when they are refusing to take back Shabir Ahmed tells you all you need to know,” UK’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel, said, adding, “No surprise that Labour slipped this out on the last day of this session of Parliament, so nobody can hold them to account,” noted the report.
The shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, called for cutting off aid to Pakistan until it agrees to take back Ahmed and all others from Pakistan who were convicted of grooming gang offences.
“Vile paedophile child rapists who came here from Pakistan should all be deported back,” said Philp. “We should stop all overseas aid and issuance of new visas for Pakistani citizens until they take Ahmed and those like him back,” he said.
Last week, Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the UK, signalled that the government is prepared to sanction Pakistan if it refuses to take back the sexual offender. Secretary Cooper said that the UK government would consider using “all possible levers”.
While speaking at the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Cooper noted that the UK government was successful in persuading multiple nations to take back foreign criminals after threatening them with sanctions.
–IANS
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