Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department is making to the Government of Pakistan regarding freedom of religion and belief for minority communities in that country.

We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level.

Most recently, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised our concerns about FoRB with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 5 June. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan raised our concerns about FoRB with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 8 June. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan at senior levels to guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens, regardless of their belief.

The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Rehman Chishti MP, has previously met the Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK to look at FoRB issues.