Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to assist the government of Pakistan in tackling the threat posed by the Taliban.

Pakistan is on the frontline of the global fight against terrorism, including against groups such as the Pakistan Taliban. It remains one of our priority countries for counter-terrorism work. A major part of this effort is dedicated to working with Pakistanis to reduce the threat from violent extremism and to build their capacity to deal with it. This requires a determined security response, but also investment in education, tackling poverty, and confronting the extremist narrative.

Alongside this we have pledged further assistance, including UK strategic expertise, capacity development to improve detection and disruption of improvised explosive devices, support with developing effective approaches to Countering Violent Extremism and infrastructure security. Our approach is supported by intensive diplomatic work, bilaterally, multilaterally, and in concert with key partners such as the European Union and the United States.