Archive · 8 Dec 2025
Pakistan-UK Deal on Grooming Gang Convicts
Pakistan and the UK are talking about a deal.
Pakistan wants two people who speak out against their government to be sent back from the UK.
In return, Pakistan would take back two men who were part of a bad group that hurt young girls in the UK.
These men had their UK citizenship taken away.
Some people think Pakistan is using this deal to punish those who criticize them.
The UK has looked into the bad group before, but the investigation stopped.
There's no formal agreement between the countries for sending people back, but they can make special deals.
Pakistan proposes to accept convicted sex offenders from the UK in exchange for the extradition of two political rebels.
The sex offenders, Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, were part of grooming gangs targeting young girls in several UK cities.
The political rebels, Shahzad Akbar and Adil Raja, are critics of Pakistan's current government and have been living in exile in the UK.
The UK revoked the citizenship of the convicted sex offenders in 2018, leaving them stateless.
The UK and Pakistan have no formal extradition treaty, but ad hoc arrangements are possible.
- Who
- Pakistan and UK governments, convicted sex offenders Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, political rebels Shahzad Akbar and Adil Raja
- What
- Proposed exchange of convicted sex offenders for political rebels between Pakistan and UK
- When
- Current discussions, with historical context dating back to the 1990s for the grooming gangs and 2022 for the political rebels' exile
- Where
- UK and Pakistan, with grooming gang activities in Rochdale, Rotherham, Oldham, and Telford
- Why
- Pakistan seeks return of political rebels, UK may seek removal of convicted sex offenders
- Convicted Sex Offenders
- Qari Abdul Rauf, Adil Khan
- Political Rebels
- Shahzad Akbar, Adil Raja
- Cities Affected by Grooming Gangs
- Rochdale, Rotherham, Oldham, Telford
- Year of Citizenship Revocation
- 2018
- Extradition Treaty Status
- No formal treaty, ad hoc arrangements possible