Overview
- Pakistani deputy prime minister and foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar told UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband that Pakistan has no existing law or bilateral mechanism to accept Shabir Ahmed.
- The dispute follows Ahmed’s July release after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for 30 sexual offences and the subsequent revocation of his UK citizenship.
- UK ministers say a 1971 Immigration Act rule protecting Commonwealth arrivals who came before 1973 blocks removal and the Home Secretary has pledged to change that law.
- Sources briefed on talks reported Pakistan suggested its acceptance might require a reciprocal move from the UK to hand over Pakistani dissidents, a demand the UK is unlikely to meet.
- While diplomatic options are explored the UK is pursuing lawful routes and has signalled possible measures such as visa bans or withholding aid, and Ahmed remains under strict electronic tagging, exclusion zones and 24-hour supervision.