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Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Rochdale grooming gang ringleaders could be deported 'in months' as Pakistan signals it's FINALLY willing to accept pair after years' refusals
Two Rochdale grooming gang ringleaders could finally be deported to Pakistan by the end of this year, officials there have revealed - after a decade's delay. British officials have been trying to deport Qari Abdul Rauf, 55, and Adil Khan, 54, following their leading roles in the grooming gangs scandal. The UK this month dropped a ban on direct flights between the two countries dating back five years yet still the two men have remained in the Greater Manchester town. But after Pakistan's government was believed to have used the pair's detention as a 'bargaining chip', there are suggestions now they could take the men back. That would be in return for Britain's decision to lift a previous five-year ban on Pakistani International Airlines. A senior Pakistani government official involved in talks on Rauf and Khan has now indicated his nation's interior ministry must now give legal clearance for their return. He was quoted by the Times as saying: 'I believe a resolution could be reached within a month or two, although there are some legal and political complexities involved. 'Currently, the case is being handled by Pakistan's interior ministry. Once they provide clearance, it will be passed to the foreign ministry, which will finalise the acceptance of Rauf and Khan.' The two groomers were at the heart of a child abuse ring where girls as young as 12 were groomed with free booze and drugs before being gang-raped. They held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but were stripped of their British nationality when they were convicted and jailed in 2012. Both men then renounced their Pakistani citizenship, in a cynical move that made them stateless and consequently much trickier to deport due to international law. In 2022, they both lost an appeal against deportation after a seven-year legal battle that cost the British taxpayer a fortune, but they kept living in Rochdale because Pakistan would not take them back. But Islamabad's position could now change, according to reports, now that UK ministers have given the green light for direct flights to resume between the two countries. The country's national carrier PIA was barred from operating inside the EU and UK in 2020. That followed an incident on May 22 that year when a passenger flight from Lahore to Karachi crashed, killing 97 out of the 99 people on board as well as an additional victim on the ground. Married father-of-five Rauf, a religious studies teacher at a Rochdale mosque, would drive schoolgirls to other men who would rape and abuse them. He walked free in 2014 after serving just two and a half years of a six-year prison sentence. Last month, the Daily Mail revealed how he built a house in his native Pakistan – despite receiving £285,000 of taxpayers' money in a battle against being deported, casting fresh doubts on claims he had cut ties with Pakistan. Khan was convicted of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. The offender, who had a baby with one of the victims aged just 13 at the time, served four years of an eight-year jail term before being released in 2016. Rauf ferried victims from Rochdale to sex parties as far away as Leeds and Bradford, in a scandal that ultimately led to nine men being convicted for trafficking and abusing almost 50 girls. Officials in Islamabad last month told the Times that Pakistan could finally agree to take the two men once direct flights are resumed. And the British High Commission in Pakistan subsequently confirmed PIA was once again legally allowed to fly non-stop routes into the UK. A spokesperson said: 'After a sustained, independent and technically driven process, the UK's Air Safety Committee has lifted its restrictions on Pakistani carriers. 'It will take time for flights to resume, but this is an important step, and a testament to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority's air safety improvements. 'Individual airline carriers will still need to apply for permits to operate to the UK through the UK Civil Aviation Authority.' Jane Marriott, the UK high commissioner to Pakistan, added at the time: 'I'm grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards. 'While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.' An estimated 1.6million people of Pakistani heritage are believed to be living in the UK. Paul Waugh, Labour MP for Rochdale, has now said following the latest reported progress: 'Ever since I was elected, I have been working constantly with ministers to deport these Rochdale grooming gang ringleaders to Pakistan. 'The last government failed to boot these vile paedophiles out of Britain. That's totally unacceptable to me, to the people of Rochdale and most of all to their victims. 'I know that we are having to deal with a complex diplomatic and legal process, but I've ensured this is a high priority within government and I'm encouraged that progress sounds like it is being made. The sooner we see the back of them, the better.' Earlier this year, MailOnline revealed that Rauf was working in Rochdale as a delivery driver, prompting fears he might meet one of his victims during the course of his work. His neighbours in Rochdale were disgusted that he was still allowed to live in the same town where he carried out his vile crimes. One mother, who lives just a few doors away, said: 'Nobody can believe that monster is still here, after what he did to those young girls. 'It's disgusting. What is the country coming to? Why is he still here?' And furious neighbours of Rauf in Rochdale described how they were terrified to let their children out of sight after the 55-year-old was released. The convicted paedophile was told he would be deported back to Pakistan after completing his sentence in 2014 - but he remains living in the Greater Manchester town more than a decade later. Rauf claims to be stateless after renouncing his Pakistani nationality – however, his claim to have cut ties have now been thrown into doubt. Neighbours in the remote village which he left to move to Britain in the 1990s have revealed that the father-of-five has built a house there. They said his intention was to live in it when he is finally kicked out of the UK. They also contradicted his claim during his battle against deportation that he would be at risk in Pakistan due to 'public opinion' because of his convictions, saying his family remains 'influential' there. Rauf was one of a nine-strong gang of Asian men who sexually assaulted 47 girls, some as young as 12, after plying them with drink and drugs. Their conviction in 2012 shocked the country and sparked years of campaigning by victims, which earlier this month finally prompted Sir Keir Starmer to agree to a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. Rauf – who moved to the UK in 1997 – lost an appeal against being stripped of British nationality in 2018. But he appealed against deportation on the grounds he had already renounced his Pakistani citizenship and would therefore be rendered stateless. Rauf has received a staggering £285,000 in legal aid as he bids to avoid being thrown out of the country, it emerged earlier this year. Despite losing the case, he remains in Rochdale where he works as a takeaway delivery driver as Pakistan won't accept him without valid travel documents. But inquiries by MailOnline in his home village of Charhoi in Pakistan-administered Kashmir suggest he has retained close links. According to villagers who know the family, he has sent back money to fund the construction of a new house near the bazaar with the intention of living there himself. They said he initially allowed his elder brother to live there with his family – but had now asked him to vacate the building. 'His brother lived there for few months but came back to his old home when his children told him to leave Abdul Rauf's home and go back to his old one,' the resident said. As part of his 2022 appeal against deportation, Rauf claimed that if he was sent back to Pakistan, he 'would be at risk due to the public opinion of the criminal conviction' and would not be 'protected' by the authorities there. But a villager cast doubt on his claim, saying that while locals knew about the case, he would be safe as a result of his family ties. 'Since they are influential and financially strong people in their street, this topic was not much discussed,' the resident said. Before his conviction, Rauf was seen as a pillar of Rochdale's Muslim community because of his role as a 'qari', a cleric who reads from the Koran. But the men's trial heard how he trafficked a 15-year-old girl for sex, driving her to secluded areas to have sex with her in his taxi and ferrying her to a flat in Rochdale where he and others had sex with her.
Scottish Sun
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Rochdale grooming gang fiends could FINALLY be deported months after Pakistan refused to take them back
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RINGLEADERS of a Rochdale grooming gang could finally be deported to Pakistan after using a loophole to avoid being kicked out of the UK. Fury erupted when Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan ripped up their passports and Pakistan refused to take them back. 4 Rochdale groomer Qari Abdul Rauf Credit: nb press ltd 4 Grooming gang members Shabir Ahmed (top left), Adil Khan (top right), Abdul Aziz (bottom left) and Qari Abdul Rauf Credit: PA:Press Association 4 Qari Abdul Rauf, a convicted Rochdale groomer Credit: NB PRESS LTD The men were part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men convicted of sex offences against vulnerable girls in 2012. Up to 47 girls as young as 12 were plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-raped across Rochdale during a two-year reign of terror. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May ordered the pair to be sent back to Pakistan in 2014 as it would as it would be "conducive to the public good". But ten years later, Rauf and Khan still remain in Rochdale where - horrifically - their victims are forced to live alongside them. Rauf and Khan held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but were stripped of their British nationality. A judge ordered both men to be deported to Pakistan nearly a decade ago. However the men, two of Britain's worst grooming offenders, renounced their Pakistani citizenship days before an appeal against the order. This meant they would be left "stateless" if they were kicked out of the UK, exploiting a loophole that allowed them to remain here. Brazen Khan even argued that he should stay in the UK to be "a role model for his child". Khan also claimed he is not wanted by his family back in Pakistan because his notoriety would be bad for the business they own. But according to The Telegraph, a lifting of a ban on direct flights between Pakistan and UK could mean 'progress' in negotiations for deportation. Sources for the Interior Ministry have previously said "progress" could be made if the UK were to take part in talks. They also suggested returning direct flights to the UK by its national airline PIA, which were suspended for safety reasons, could help. But UK officials previously said this suggestion had not been raised in discussions. Rauf and Khan were ringleaders of a prolific grooming gang in Rochdale, which has been plagued by sexual exploitation. Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant and trafficked another girl, 15, to others - using violence when she complained. He was sentenced to eight years in 2012 and released on licence four years later. Dad-of-five Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl and raped her in a secluded area before taking her to a flat in Rochdale where others had sex with her. He was caged for six years and released in November 2014 after serving two years and six months of his sentence. Earlier this year, it emerged the fiend has been throwing wild parties at his home with large numbers of people turning up. Neighbours say they have been left terrified to let their kids play outside and remain constantly vigilant of their movements. Residents say they are constantly reminded of grooming gangs when they pass by the vile paedophile's home. Rauf now lives in the same area he committed his crimes with victims forced to see him while he is out and about. The paedophile has been spotted being chauffeured around by his son by angry locals who say there is nothing they can do to get rid of him.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Rochdale grooming gang fiends could FINALLY be deported months after Pakistan refused to take them back
RINGLEADERS of a Rochdale grooming gang could finally be deported to Pakistan after using a loophole to avoid being kicked out of the UK. Fury erupted when Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan ripped up their passports and Pakistan refused to take them back. 4 4 The men were part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men convicted of sex offences against vulnerable girls in 2012. Up to 47 girls as young as 12 were plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-raped across Rochdale during a two-year reign of terror. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May ordered the pair to be sent back to Pakistan in 2014 as it would as it would be "conducive to the public good". But ten years later, Rauf and Khan still remain in Rochdale where - horrifically - their victims are forced to live alongside them. Rauf and Khan held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but were stripped of their British nationality. A judge ordered both men to be deported to Pakistan nearly a decade ago. However the men, two of Britain's worst grooming offenders, renounced their Pakistani citizenship days before an appeal against the order. This meant they would be left "stateless" if they were kicked out of the UK, exploiting a loophole that allowed them to remain here. But according to The Telegraph, a lifting of a ban on direct flights between Pakistan and UK could mean 'progress' in negotiations for deportation. Sources for the Interior Ministry have previously said "progress" could be made if the UK were to take part in talks. They also suggested returning direct flights to the UK by its national airline PIA, which were suspended for safety reasons, could help. But UK officials previously said this suggestion had not been raised in discussions. Rauf and Khan were ringleaders of a prolific grooming gang in Rochdale, which has been plagued by sexual exploitation. Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant and trafficked another girl, 15, to others - using violence when she complained. He was sentenced to eight years in 2012 and released on licence four years later. Dad-of-five Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl and raped her in a secluded area before taking her to a flat in Rochdale where others had sex with her. He was caged for six years and released in November 2014 after serving two years and six months of his sentence. 4
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Rochdale groomers could finally be sent back to Pakistan
Two ringleaders of the Rochdale grooming scandal could be sent back to Pakistan after the UK dropped its ban on direct flights between the two countries. Ministers are engaged in talks with the Pakistani government to remove a block on the deportations of Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, two of Britain's worst grooming offenders. Rauf and Khan held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but were stripped of their British nationality after being found guilty of being members of the gang. A judge ordered both men to be deported to Pakistan nearly a decade ago but both renounced their Pakistani citizenship days before a court appeal against the Home Office order. They were then able to successfully argue that they would be left 'stateless' if they were deported and despite judges having rejected their appeals on more than two occasions, they have been able to remain in the UK because Pakistan has refused to accept them. In June, Pakistani government sources indicated to The Telegraph that reinstatement of direct flights between Pakistan and UK could enable 'progress' in the negotiations to take back the two men. The flights by Pakistani International Airlines have been suspended since 2020 after a plane crash that killed 97 people. However, the British High Commission said on Wednesday that the UK was lifting the ban following safety improvements by Pakistani authorities. Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale who has urged ministers to deport to Pakistan several men convicted of grooming children, said: 'This is very welcome news. I know that this decision will have been taken solely on the basis of the safety improvements made by the airline and is not linked to deportations. 'But 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 Rochdale child rapists are the most high profile of those who have exploited the courts and citizenship rules to avoid deportation. Rauf, a 55-year-old father of five and Khan, 54, were jailed in 2012 as ringleaders of a nine-strong gang of Asian men who sexually assaulted 47 girls – some as young as 12 – after plying them with drink and drugs over two years in Rochdale. The Home Office won a Court of Appeal ruling to deport the pair and a third member of the gang, Abdul Aziz, in 2018 after stripping them of their British citizenship. Rauf and Khan subsequently renounced their Pakistani citizenship in an effort to prevent their deportation. Aziz was allowed to stay in the UK because he had torn up his passport before the 2018 ruling. This meant the Government had to let him stay rather than make him stateless. A Pakistan ministry of interior official warned in June that deportation was not 'feasible' while the flights remained banned. ' Accepting such criminals is extremely difficult and there is no room in Pakistani society for such offenders. However, if the UK engages in negotiations with Pakistan on this matter [the flights], progress could be made,' he said. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, has been leading discussions with the Pakistanis on the issue backed by Home Office ministers. Lord Khan, the faith minister with strong links to Pakistan, has also been engaged. A Home Office spokesman said it would do 'everything in our power' to deport foreign nationals who commit 'heinous' crimes in the UK. 'The UK and Pakistan are working in partnership on shared migration and return priorities. Both countries recognise and respect our common obligations to return those with no right to remain in our respective countries,' he said.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Rochdale grooming gang ringleaders 'to finally be deported' to Pakistan after UK lifts ban on flights
Two of the ringleaders of the Rochdale grooming scandal may finally be deported back to Pakistan a decade after a judge first authorised their departure. Until now the South Asian state has refused to accept Qari Abdul Rauf, 55, and Adil Khan, 54, after the pair renounced their Pakistani citizenship. That left the Home Office unable to deport the duo since to do so would have left them 'stateless' - a move which is illegal under international law. But Pakistan's position looks set to potentially change now that ministers have given the green light for direct flights to once again resume between the two countries. The country's national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was barred from operating inside the EU and UK in 2020. The ban followed an incident on May 22 that year in which a domestic passenger flight from Lahore to Karachi crashed while on approach to Jinnah International Airport, killing 97 out of the 99 people on board as well as an additional person on the ground. Rauf and Khan were both dual British-Pakistani citizens until the pair were convicted of a catalogue of child sex offences in 2012. The Home Office called for their British citizenship to be revoked after they were convicted of grooming and raping young women. Aziz ferried victims from Rochdale to sex parties as far away as Leeds and Bradford. However, the pair renounced their Pakistani citizenship days before an appeal was due to be heard on the Home Office decision, making it is legally complex to send them to back to Pakistan. But officials in Islamabad last month told The Times that Pakistan may finally agree to take the two men once direct flights are resumed. The British High Commission in Pakistan confirmed yesterday that PIA is once again legally allowed to fly no-stop routes into the UK. A spokesperson said: 'After a sustained, independent, and technically driven process, the UK's Air Safety Committee has lifted its restrictions on Pakistani carriers. 'It will take time for flights to resume, but this is an important step, and a testament to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority's air safety improvements. 'Individual airline carriers will still need to apply for permits to operate to the UK through the UK Civil Aviation Authority.' Jane Marriott, the UK high commissioner to Pakistan, added: 'I'm grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards. 'While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.' This dropping of the ban will be welcome news to the 1.6million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK. David Lammy is currently leading discussions with Pakistan on their return, and both the Foreign Secretary and Home Office ministers are reported to be 'working very hard' to strike an agreement. Faith minister Lord Khan, who has strong connections to Pakistan, is also said to be involved in talks. Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, said: 'This is very welcome news. I know that this decision will have been taken solely on the basis of the safety improvements made by the airline and is not linked to deportations. 'But 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.' Earlier this year, MailOnline revealed that Rauf was working in Rochdale as a delivery driver, prompting fears he might meet one of his victims during the course of his work. His neighbours in Rochdale were disgusted that he is still allowed to live in the same town where he carried out his vile crimes. One mother, who lives just a few doors away, said: 'Nobody can believe that monster is still here, after what he did to those young girls. 'It's disgusting. What is the country coming to? Why is he still here?'
