Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Afghanistan on the protection of minorities, particularly Afghan Hindus and Sikhs in that country.

We continue to urge the Government of Afghanistan to ensure that the rights of minorities are protected, in line with the Afghan Constitution. The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, last raised human rights with the Afghan Foreign Minister on 14 May. Most recently, the UK's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Alison Blake CMG, discussed citizens' rights with Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on 3 September. The UK strongly condemns the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs. The Minister publicly condemned the 25 March attack in Kabul on a Sikh Gurdwara.