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A significant development in the long-running saga of the Rochdale grooming scandal could finally see two of its most notorious ringleaders deported to Pakistan, following the UK's decision to lift its five-year ban on direct flights between the two nations. This move has immediately intensified high-level diplomatic discussions aimed at removing the final obstacles to the removal of Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, who were stripped of their British citizenship after their horrific crimes.
Rauf, 55, and Khan, 54, were both central figures in a nine-strong gang of Asian men jailed in 2012 for sexually assaulting 47 girls, some as young as 12, over two years in Rochdale. Despite a judge ordering their deportation to Pakistan nearly a decade ago, their removal has been stalled by a complex legal battle stemming from their last-minute renunciation of Pakistani citizenship. This manoeuvre allowed them to successfully argue they would be rendered "stateless" if deported, a claim that has repeatedly prevented their removal despite judges rejecting their appeals on multiple occasions.
The breakthrough comes as the British High Commission confirmed on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, that the UK has lifted its ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights. The ban was initially imposed in 2020 following a tragic plane crash that killed 97 people. The lifting of this ban, attributed to safety improvements made by Pakistani authorities, directly addresses a key hurdle identified by Pakistani government sources in June 2025, who indicated that reinstated flights would enable "progress" in negotiations for the men's return.
Labour MP for Rochdale, Paul Waugh, who has long campaigned for the deportation of grooming gang members, welcomed the news. "This is very welcome news," Waugh stated. "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 cases of Rauf and Khan, alongside a third gang member Abdul Aziz (who was allowed to remain in the UK after tearing up his passport before a 2018 ruling to avoid statelessness), represent the most high-profile instances of offenders exploiting citizenship rules to evade deportation.
In June, a Pakistani Ministry of Interior official had previously highlighted the difficulty in accepting such criminals, stating there was "no room in Pakistani society for such offenders." However, the official also made it clear that "if the UK engages in negotiations with Pakistan on this matter [the flights], progress could be made."
Foreign Secretary David Lammy is reportedly leading the discussions with Pakistani officials on this sensitive issue, with support from Home Office ministers and Lord Khan, the faith minister, who maintains strong links to Pakistan.
A Home Office spokesman reiterated the government's firm stance: "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. We will do everything in our power to deport foreign nationals who commit heinous crimes in the UK."
With direct flights now permitted, and high-level diplomatic efforts underway, the prospect of justice for the victims of the Rochdale grooming gang and the long-awaited deportation of Rauf and Khan appears closer than ever.
