'We must push back!' Ex-Attorney General urges 'weak' Labour to fight for Pakistan to accept Shabir Ahmed

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been urged to "push back" on Pakistan's "aggressive" refusal to take back Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed.

Speaking to GB News, ex-Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis said the Government has so far been "weak" in their push to deport the 73-year-old back to his country of birth.

On Monday, Ms Mahmood announced the Home Office will close the legal loophole which is currently preventing Shabir Ahmed's deportation.

However, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi has blamed the UK for Shabir Ahmed's crimes, claiming it is because he "grew up, was raised, groomed and, unfortunately, spoiled" in Britain.

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Mr Andrabi said the onus was "exclusively" on Britain, declaring publicly for the first time that Pakistan would not be taking back the 73-year-old paedophile despite him being born there.

Discussing the case on GB News, Sir Michael declared this is "diplomatic warfare".

He said: "Pakistan are deliberately signalling aggression in the diplomatic field.

"They have said that because of Brexit, we don't have the power that we used to have and so on, knowing that that touches sensitive areas in the UK, in the political arena."

Sir Michael argued that Pakistan's Government is pushing back on the deportation because the UK Government has so far been "weak".

He told GB News: "They are being aggressive, they are pushing back because they know that they're dealing with a weak British Government in London.

"And they know that it's a weak British Government because they see how Britain has treated the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, they see how Britain kowtows to the smallest pressure under this Government.

"And they're taking advantage, they're taking kindness for a weakness."

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The former attorney general urged the Labour Government to "push back" against Pakistan and challenge their refusal with action on visas.

He explained: "When they talk about imperialism, they don't seem to complain about imperialism when we give them lots of money, usually around £50million a year.

"They don't worry about imperialist conduct when the money is coming their way.

"I think we need to push back on this. We need to say they take advantage of visas, a lot of visas are issued every year to Pakistani nationals who wish to come to this country. It will be a chastening lesson if we do something about that."

Sir Michael concluded that the UK is "not being unreasonable" in pushing for Pakistan to accept him.

He said: "Pakistan is making out as if we're doing something unreasonable. It's they who are unreasonable for not taking back their personnel, and that's what they should do."

In a statement, a Government spokesman told GB News: "This vile man should not be in the UK.

"Removing him requires Pakistan to accept him. We are doing everything we can to deport him and we are still in talks with Pakistan."

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