Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in Pakistan on allegations of (a) abduction and (b) trafficking of (i) Hindu and (ii) Christian women and girls; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their protection.

The UK is committed to addressing the abduction, trafficking, forced marriage and conversion of women and girls in Pakistan, including from Hindu and Christian communities. Further to the welcome passage of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act, we will continue to advocate for strengthened child protection across Pakistan. Through the UK's Aawaz II programme, we are also working at the grassroots level to challenge harmful social behaviours, including working directly with communities to raise awareness of the harms of early and forced marriage. I raised the broader issue of religious minority persecution in a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dar on 18 July.