Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to encourage the Government of Pakistan to prevent mob violence against (a) the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and (b) other religious minorities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by incidents of violence against religious minorities in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her Department’s human rights priorities of recent attacks against Ahmadi Muslims in the Punjab province in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by incidents of violence against religious minorities in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that (a) Airbnb and (b) other UK- (i) based and (ii) operating companies do not operate in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's clear position on illegal Israeli settlements is set out on the Overseas Business Risk website. We advise British businesses to bear in mind the British Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held recent discussions with his international counterparts on facilitating safe passage for Palestinians in Gaza with family in the UK.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Border crossings out of Gaza have been closed to civilians and general traffic since the Israeli military took control of the Rafah crossing on 6 May 2024. We are working with authorities in the region to help British nationals leave Gaza. We are also able to try to help Palestinian nationals to leave where they have a spouse or partner, or a child aged 17 or under currently living in the UK, and they hold valid permission to enter or remain in the UK for longer than 6 months.