We are deeply concerned about restrictions on the freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. The Government strongly condemns the discrimination of all minorities, including legislation which acts as a barrier to Ahmadiyya Muslims taking part in the democratic process fully.<\/p>
We regularly raise with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels the importance of religious tolerance and its duty to uphold the rights of all Pakistan\u2019s citizens regardless of religious identity. The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of advancing the rights of minorities during her telephone call with Imran Khan in August following his election as Prime Minister of Pakistan. I raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan\u2019s Human Rights Minister in September 2018.<\/p>
At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan\u2019s human rights record in 2017, the UK urged Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities, including by having a fully inclusive electoral roll without discrimination or religious bias, and by establishing an independent National Commission for Minorities.<\/p>
We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee fully the rights of all Pakistani citizens, including religious minorities, and to honour its international obligations.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-01-23T16:20:42.27Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Ahmadiyya"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the exclusion of Ahmadi Muslims from the right to vote in Pakistan\u2019s elections.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL12769"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/663139", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/663139/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK Government is aware of reports of the raid on an Ahmadiyya Muslim office in Rabwah on 5 December and condemns 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. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report.<\/p>
We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan in November 2016, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), raised religious tolerance and the importance of safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens. During his visit to Pakistan in January 2017, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma), raised the protection of 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 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>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-11T12:10:19.407Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Ahmadiyya"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the recent attacks on the Ahmadi mosque in Chakwal, and on the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Raburah; and about the arrest of Ahmadis in these incidents.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3153", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Pearson of Rannoch"} ], "uin" : "HL4354"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/662704", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/662704/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We 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. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report.<\/p>
We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities at senior level, with the government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan in November, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) raised religious tolerance and the importance of safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens. 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>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-05T16:46:14.583Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Ahmadiyya"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims following a recent attack on the Ahmadi Muslim mosque in Chakwal in Pakistan.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4549", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Oates"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Oates"} ], "uin" : "HL4310"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/662086", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/662086/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
\u200bWe regularly meet representatives of the UK Ahmadiyya Muslim community to discuss the human rights of Ahmadiyya in Pakistan.<\/p>
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Alok Sharma) met members of the community at the Annual General Meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK on 23 November. I met community leaders in May. Earlier this week, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials met members of the community to discuss the raid on the Ahmadiyya offices in Rabwah on 5 December and the attack on the mosque in Chakwal on 12 December. We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-04T14:34:46.06Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Ahmadiyya"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what discussions they have held with the Ahmadi Muslim community in the UK concerning the welfare of their co-religionists in Pakistan.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1137", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Patten"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Patten"} ], "uin" : "HL4254"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }