Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department provides to organisations working to protect the (a) rights and (b) safety of the Ahmadi Muslim community in Pakistan.

Promoting the rights of religious minorities is an important part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised Ahmadi rights when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November in Pakistan and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. The British High Commission continues to raise the issue of safety for the Ahmadi community at the highest levels, including the need to respond swiftly to incidents of violence. UK officials routinely speak with civil society groups in Pakistan and the UK to better understand the issues affecting the Ahmadi community and inform our engagements with the Pakistani authorities. UK programming also brings together influential community and faith leaders and minority representatives to promote interfaith harmony.