Became Member: 22nd October 1997
Left House: 24th March 2020 (Death)
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These initiatives were driven by Lord Garel-Jones, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Garel-Jones has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Garel-Jones has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Yes. During my visit to Jakarta I talked about the rights of people of faith and those of no faith during a meeting of representatives of different religious communities, as well as raising the issue of Freedom of Religion or Belief in my meeting with the Minister of Religious Affairs.
We are concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression in Pakistan, including the detention of human rights activists, in Pakistan. We are also concerned about constraints on the operating space for civil society and NGOs in Pakistan. The freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. The arrest and release under bail of Gulalai Ismail is a further worrying development against the backdrop of restrictions on fundamental rights in Pakistan.
We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation with the Government of Pakistan, including on the freedom of expression. I discussed human rights in Pakistan with the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, in September 2018.
The British High Commission in Islamabad will continue to support civil society and NGOs in lobbying the Government of Pakistan to honour in practice its international commitments, including on freedom of expression.