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<p>I am aware of reports of the persecution of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan.
I condemn the attack on the Ahmadiyya mosque in Chakwal on 12 December. The Government
strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of people
based on their beliefs.</p><p>We regularly raise our concerns about the protection
of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Government of Pakistan.
During my visit to Pakistan earlier this month, I discussed the protection of religious
minorities, including the Ahmadiyya, with Kamran Michael, Pakistani Minister for Human
Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant for
Human Rights. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and
South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised religious tolerance and the importance of safeguarding
the rights of all Pakistan's citizens when he visited Pakistan in November 2016. The
Government continues to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations,
including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.</p>
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