Zia Yusuf says a future Reform government would use visa restrictions, sanctions and asset freezes to pressure Islamabad. The measures are party proposals, not current UK government policy.
Reform UK has proposed a blanket ban on new visas for Pakistani nationals if Islamabad refuses to accept the return of Shabir Ahmed and other Pakistani citizens who have no legal right to remain in Britain.
The warning was issued by the party’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, amid a continuing dispute over Ahmed, the convicted leader of a Rochdale child-exploitation network. According to the Express report, Yusuf also said a Reform government would consider sanctions against Pakistani officials and freeze any assets they held in Britain.
The announcement represents Reform UK policy rather than a measure introduced by the present government. Any visa ban, financial sanction or asset freeze would require legal and administrative action before it could take effect.
What Reform UK Is Proposing
Yusuf said that if Reform UK entered government, it would demand that Pakistan accept Ahmed as well as other Pakistani nationals facing removal from Britain. If Pakistan did not cooperate, the party would suspend the issuing of new visas to Pakistani nationals.
Reform’s plan would then go further by targeting members of Pakistan’s government with sanctions and freezing assets held in the UK. The party has presented these measures as a way to make countries cooperate with Britain over the return of their nationals.
A statement published by Reform UK said the proposed restrictions would form part of a wider policy to detain and remove foreign offenders and people who no longer have permission to stay in the country.
The approach would be politically significant because a blanket visa suspension could affect students, workers, visitors and families with no connection to the Ahmed case. The practical impact would depend on the final rules, including whether any exemptions were provided.
Why Shabir Ahmed Has Not Been Deported
Ahmed, now 73, was convicted in 2012 of 30 serious offences. He received a 22-year sentence and was released on licence in July 2026 after serving the custodial part of that sentence.
Following his release, he remains subject to strict conditions. Parliament was told that these include electronic monitoring, curfews, exclusion zones and a lifetime entry on the sex offenders register. He can be returned to prison if he breaks the conditions of his licence.
Ahmed previously held British citizenship, but the government later removed it because of the seriousness of his offences. His deportation has nevertheless been blocked by Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971.
That provision protects certain Commonwealth and Irish citizens who were settled in Britain before the Act came into force on 1 January 1973. Ahmed arrived in the UK in 1967 and falls within the group covered by the section. During a House of Commons debate, the government stressed that the provision was originally designed to preserve the rights of long-established Commonwealth residents, including members of the Windrush generation.
Pakistan has reportedly refused to receive Ahmed, arguing that the case is a British domestic matter and disputing responsibility for him. This creates a second obstacle: even if the UK removes its own legal barrier, it still needs a country willing and legally able to accept him.
Government Plans a Separate Change in the Law
The Labour government has already announced plans to amend the Immigration and Asylum Bill in response to the case. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs that the proposed power would allow Section 7 protection to be disapplied where offending reaches an exceptionally serious level.
The threshold would be linked to the existing power to remove British citizenship, meaning it would not automatically apply to every foreign offender. Mahmood also acknowledged that the change would not, on its own, guarantee Ahmed’s departure from the UK. The receiving country would still have to cooperate. Her position is recorded in the government’s second–reading speech on the Immigration and Asylum Bill.
The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons by 264 votes to 90 on 13 July and was sent to a Public Bill Committee. Under the parliamentary timetable, committee proceedings are due to finish by 3 November 2026. The proposed change must complete the legislative process before it can become law, according to the official Hansard record.
Visa Figures Add Weight to the Debate
The Express article cites Home Office figures showing that 138,747 entry-clearance visas were issued to Pakistani nationals in the year ending March 2026, including 88,553 visitor visas. The report also says that 63 Pakistani foreign offenders were removed in the latest year, compared with 263 in 2012.
The figures help explain why Reform UK believes visa policy could provide leverage. However, visa restrictions would reach far beyond people facing removal and could disrupt travel, business, education and family visits.
What Happens Next?
The immediate issue remains a mix of law and diplomacy. Parliament can change the domestic rules that currently protect Ahmed from deportation, but it cannot complete a return without cooperation from another country.
Reform UK is arguing for broad pressure through visas and financial measures. The government, meanwhile, is pursuing a narrower legal power while continuing diplomatic discussions. Until either route produces an agreement with Pakistan, Ahmed is expected to remain in Britain under strict licence conditions.
The case will therefore remain an important test of how far the UK can go when it seeks to deport a serious offender whose nationality and acceptance by another country are disputed.