Two members of a sex grooming gang in Rochdale have lost a long-running appeal against being deported to Pakistan.
51-year-old Adil Khan and 52-year-old Qari Abdul Rauf were part of a nine-member gang that groomed dozens of girls for sex in the Greater Manchester town for two years in the late 2000s, before they were eventually convicted for child sex offences back in May 2012.
The gang operated for two years from 2008, and were found to have been plying girls as young as 12 with alcohol and drugs and gang-raping them at various locations – sometimes “pimping” them out for money.
As many as 47 girls were abused, according to Greater Manchester Police.
Among the convictions, Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant, but denied he was the father, and then met another girl, 15, and trafficked her for others to abuse, often using violence when she complained, while father-of-five Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl and drove her to secluded areas to sexually abuse her in his taxi, and then move her to a flat in Rochdale where he and others abused her.
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All nine men were jailed for their part in the gang.
After being freed from jail in 2014 and 2016 respectively, Rauf and Khan then began a long campaign to try and avoid being deported from UK to Pakistan after their British citizenship was revoked, citing article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – which is the right to a private and family life.
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Khan had argued at his last hearing in June that he shouldn’t be deported because his son needed a role model, and lawyers for the pair also argued they were “stateless” due to the fact they had certificates showing renouncement their Pakistani citizenship.
But immigration judges ruled their challenge against deportation on human rights grounds had failed.
Judges said Khan had shown a “breathtaking lack of remorse”, and that there was a “very strong public interest” in both men being kicked out, in a decision that was made in August and has been released publicly today.
Home Office lawyers argued that the case had taken a “very long time” to get to this point, and it was now in the public interest to deport both men “as soon as possible”.
In April, Greater Manchester Police apologised to three victims, with the police force admitting that officers “could and should have done much more” to protect them and that “we let you down,” – but campaigners criticised the apology for being “10 years too late”.
Featured Image – GMP
News
Police appeal launched as man, 51, dies MONTHS after M60 crash
Daisy Jackson
A man in his 50s has tragically died several months after a collision on the M60, with a renewed police appeal launched this week.
At the time of the crash in July, none of the injuries sustained were believed to be life-changing or threatening.
But sadly, a 51-year-old man who was the driver of one of the vehicles involved has passed away recently.
Officers from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are now appealing for information about the M60 crash.
The road traffic collision took place at 9.13pm on Wednesday 1 July, between two vehicles between junction 16 and 17 of the M60, in Bury.
Emergency services at the time reported that none of the injuries were life-changing or life-threatening.
All the vehicle occupants have been identified, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances into the man’s death.
Police have said that his death cannot be definitively linked to the collision at this stage and work is ongoing to determine the exact cause and nature.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision is urged to contact police via 101 or gmp.police.uk, quoting log 3829 of 1 July 2026. Reports can also be made via the Live Chat function at gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
No trams to run on THREE major Greater Manchester lines for two weeks this month
Emily Sergeant
Widespread disruption is expected, as no trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines for two full weeks.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way later this month, it has been announced that essential improvement work is set to be be carried out on three major Metrolink lines across the region in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
From Monday 19 October to Sunday 1 November, tram improvement works will take place at Deansgate-Castlefield, and Trafford Bar.
Additional works will also take place in the city centre during this time, allowing Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to keep closures of the tram network to a minimum.
During the dates above, no trams will run on the Altrincham, Trafford Centre, and Eccles lines.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester line for two weeks this month / Credit: TfGM
A number of shuttle bus services will the running over the course of the two-week closure – with services arriving every 10 or 15 minutes, depending which line it’s on, and you can find a full list of these here.
Services operating on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood, and from Firswood, passengers will then need to board a replacement bus service to continue their journey into the city centre.
Services operating on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square, it has also been announced.
Services will resume on these lines from start of service on Monday 2 November.
However there will be some minor route changes through the city centre in place from Monday 2 to Wednesday 4 November, so it’s important to check your journey before you travel.
The Manc -
27th October 2022 
