Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recent killing of Dr. Sheikh Mahmood in Sargodha, Pakistan; and what steps his Department is taking to support efforts to protect the (a) rights and (b) safety of religious minorities in that region.

Promoting freedom of religion or belief is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement overseas. I raised the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan in a meeting with Pakistan's Minister of State for the Interior in March 2025. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the importance of Ahmadi rights at the highest levels, and has raised the tragic killing of Dr Sheikh Mahmood with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights and the Chief Minister of Punjab. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.