Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 Bangladeshi counterpart on the recent Islamist rally to declare the Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslim; and what diplomatic steps she is taking with international counterparts to ensure the protection of that community.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 10 November in response to Question 87224.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to encourage the Government of Pakistan to prevent mob violence against (a) the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and (b) other religious minorities.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by incidents of violence against religious minorities in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to encourage the formation of an independent investigation into the 10 October 2025 attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Pakistani counterpart on the (a) safety and (b) protection of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, in the context of the recent attack in Rabwah.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of the armed attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan, on 10 October 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the recent attack at Baitul Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah and continue to monitor the situation with concern. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, and has raised this incident with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. I raised my concern over violence against the Ahmadiyya community in a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fully investigate incidents of violence, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. On the international stage, the UK continues to highlight freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) violations and abuses through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Village Piro Chak, Pakistan, on 28 September 2025; and whether she has had discussions with her Pakistani counterpart on this matter.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 October to question 83844.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Pakistan concerning the persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, including the demolition of mosques, targeted killings and grave desecrations; and what steps they are taking to engage with Pakistan and its approach to supporting peacebuilding and the protection of religious freedom in that region.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are deeply concerned by the demolition of Ahmadi mosques in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. Our High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises concerns over the persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels. The Minister for the Middle East raised the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims, including the impact of extremist groups such as Tehreek-e-Labbaik, with Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior in March 2025. In June 2025, ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Minister for the Middle East also raised the safety and dignity of Ahmadis seeking to practice their faith with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help protect Ahmadiyya Muslims from hate crimes.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
All forms of hatred and intolerance are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Ahmadiyya Muslims. We are committed to protecting the rights of individuals to freely practice their religion and we will not tolerate Islamophobia in any form.
The Government has established a working group to provide a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, advising government and other bodies on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. Alongside drawing on their own expertise, members will engage widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom.
This announcement builds on existing work with police and community partners to ensure effective monitoring of Islamophobia. The Government has worked with the police to fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. We have also made up to £1 million of funding available this year to monitor Islamophobia and provide support to victims.
Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Bangladeshi counterpart on the attack on the 98th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Panchagarh district.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Our support in Bangladesh aims to ensure that the rights of religious minorities, including the Ahmadiyya community, are respected, and that these communities are protected from discrimination. At the time of the attack, the previous UK Government raised the importance of FoRB with the former Bangladesh Government. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus. The UK will continue to support FoRB through regular dialogue with the Interim Government of Bangladesh and through our development programme funding.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on inheritance rights for the Ahmadiyya community.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We work to protect and promote human rights in Pakistan through our diplomatic engagement and programme funding. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister in November, though inheritance rights were not raised specifically. The British High Commission also regularly raises the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights at the highest levels. The UK will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.