𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Shabana Mahmood will change the law so the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang can be deported. The Home Secretary will on Monday confirm plans to close a loophole which prevents predator Shabir Ahmed from being removed.

The pervert is currently protected by the Immigration Act 1971, which exempts Commonwealth citizens who arrived in Britain before 1973 from removal.

But Pakistan is still refusing to take Ahmed back, putting pressure on the Foreign Office to change their minds and some critics fear the paedophile will make human rights claims to block his deportation.

Labour has also faced calls to suspend foreign aid and block Pakistanis from obtaining visas to force Islamabad’s hand.

A source said: “We are confident that there is a fix to deal with the domestic side of it, but it is now down to the FCDO [Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office] negotiations with Pakistan that will decide if [Ahmed] stays in the UK.”

Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale, told the Express: “I’ve been urging ministers to act quickly to change the law to allow the authorities to boot this vile child rapist out of Britain.

“If the Home Secretary does next week announce she is closing the loophole that prevents his deportation to Pakistan, I and my constituents would strongly welcome that.

“This would be the first step in giving victims the hope they never have to face him again. The next step is to make crystal clear to Pakistan that they should take him back.”

Shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam said: “Shabana Mahmood should not be congratulated for finally admitting what Conservatives have been saying all along: if the law lets the ringleader of a grooming gang and child rapist like Shabir Ahmed stay in Britain, the law must be changed.

“The Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, has already drafted an amendment to ensure that this vile man can be removed, and we will support any legislation that gets him on a plane. But this cannot become another example of the government promising to act but then failing to deliver.

“Pakistan must take this man back, and the Government should use every tool available to make that happen.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp warned Ahmed could use human rights laws to block his deportation.

He said: “Shabir Ahmed’s crimes were vile and he must be urgently deported back to Pakistan.

“The Conservatives led the calls for his deportation, developing a detailed plan to change the law. I am glad Labour have finally u-turned and agreed to do what we proposed days ago. They must do this in emergency legislation so we don’t lose any more time.

“It should never have taken this long.

“Ahmed will almost certainly make a claim under the ECHR Article 3 or 8 to stay in the UK, which will have a good chance of succeeding based on previous cases. That’s why the Conservatives have a real plan to leave the ECHR and deport all foreign criminals. But Labour sadly does not support doing this.”

The Pakistani Predator hid in the back of a taxi as he was whisked out of HMP Leeds to a taxpayer-funded bail hostel.

But Islamabad has so far refused to accept its nationals.

Whitehall insiders insist this remains the biggest barrier to Ahmed’s deportation.

A senior Pakistani government official told The Telegraph: “Our position is that [the UK] must listen to us too. Both sides need to apply standards. Pakistan cannot be railroaded into agreeing to terms and conditions that are suitable only to the UK.

“These demands [to take back Ahmed] are being made about somebody who is now around 75 and who has spent more than 60 years in your country.

“How is he our national when he is actually not our national? This is arrogance and a colonial mindset. It is unacceptable to us.”