Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of forced marriages and conversions of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan; and what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding this practice.

Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. I [Lord Ahmad] raised forced conversions in my meeting with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 14 October 2022. I also conducted a roundtable discussion in Pakistan with human rights stakeholders on 15 October, discussing gender-based violence. In December 2022, the UK announced sanctions against Mian Abdul Haq, a Pakistani cleric who is responsible for the forced religious conversions and forced marriages of non-Muslims and minors.