A Pakistani-origin man has been sentenced to 35 years in jail for spearheading a grooming gang that raped two minor girls in Rochdale, United Kingdom.
According to a report published by India Today, the accused, Mohammed Zahid, was operating from a lingerie stall in an indoor market. He lured the minor girls with free lingerie and alcohol in exchange for sexual favours for himself and his aides.
The Daily Mail reported that Zahid was convicted in June by a jury at Manchester Minshull Street Court of committing several crimes against the girls between 2001 and 2006.
The sentence has been regarded as the first successful prosecution of a grooming gang.
Meanwhile, A group of British parliamentarians expressed grave concern over the worsening situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), where widespread protests and a region-wide lockdown have gripped the territory since September 29.
In a formal letter addressed to Hamish Falconer MP, members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir, led by Imran Hussain MP, highlighted reports of a complete communications blackout across the region.
Mobile, internet, and landline services have all been suspended, leaving residents cut off from their families and intensifying fear among local communities.
In a post shared by Imran Hussain MP on the social media platform X, the parliamentarians stated that the already tense atmosphere has been worsened by the deployment of heavy police and paramilitary forces.
“These actions,” they argued, “have raised alarming questions about the safety and well-being of civilians. The suspension of communications and the use of force to suppress demonstrations raise significant human rights concerns,” the MPs cautioned.
