Two of the most notorious members of the Rochdale grooming gang could finally be forced out of the UK after years of exploiting legal loopholes to thwart their deportation to Pakistan. Qari Abdul Rauf, 55, and Adil Khan, 54, were central figures in the child sex abuse network that preyed on dozens of vulnerable girls in Greater Manchester over a period of years.
The depraved pair, both of whom previously held dual British-Pakistani citizenship, were stripped of their British nationality after being convicted in 2012. A judge ordered them to be deported almost a decade ago. However, both men renounced their Pakistani citizenship shortly before an appeal against the Home Office’s decision – allowing them to argue that removal would leave them stateless.
Despite repeated attempts by the Government to remove them, including a Court of Appeal ruling in 2018 upholding deportation orders against them and another gang member, Abdul Aziz, the pair have remained in the UK due to Pakistan’s longstanding refusal to accept them.
That could now be about to change with sources in Islamabad indicating that the recent lifting of a UK ban on direct flights to Pakistan may have opened the door to fresh negotiations on the deportation of foreign criminals, including Rauf and Khan, reports the Telegraph.
The five-year ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights was imposed following a crash in 2020 that killed 97 people.
However, with safety concerns reportedly addressed, the UK announced this week that the suspension would be lifted – a move which Pakistani officials suggested could “enable progress” on stalled deportations.
While ministers insist the lifting of the ban is unrelated to deportation policy, Labour MP for Rochdale Paul Waugh welcomed the development, saying it showed the kind of bilateral cooperation needed to remove foreign criminals.
He said: “This is very welcome news… It indicates exactly the kind of close working relationship we need between the UK and Pakistan to pave the way for the return of Pakistani nationals deported from the UK, including the men convicted for being Rochdale grooming gang members.”
The Home Office remains cautious but have confirmed that Foreign Secretary David Lammy and other senior ministers have been engaged in discussions with their Pakistani counterparts.
Lord Khan, the faith minister who has longstanding ties with the Pakistani government, is also understood to have been involved in talks.
Rauf and Khan were among nine men convicted of appalling crimes in 2012, when it emerged that at least 47 girls – some as young as 12 – had been groomed, plied with alcohol and drugs, and subjected to repeated sexual abuse in Rochdale.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We will do everything in our power to remove foreign nationals who commit heinous crimes in the UK. The UK and Pakistan are working in partnership on shared migration and return priorities.”
He added that both countries “recognise and respect our common obligations to return those with no right to remain in our respective countries.”
Despite Pakistan’s reluctance in the past, officials have hinted that a breakthrough could be imminent. One interior ministry source said: “Accepting such criminals is extremely difficult… However, if the UK engages in negotiations, progress could be made.”
