Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Pakistan in connection with recent attacks on Christians, including the burning of eight churches in the Jaranwala area of Faisalabad.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns violence against Christians in Pakistan. Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), including for minority communities, remains central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. On 21 August I wrote to Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, urging the government to ensure the safety of the Christian community following the attacks in Jaranwala. This was a point I also raised directly with Mr Jilani during our meeting in London on 13th September. I also welcome the recent public statements in Pakistan by political and religious leaders that perpetrators of these shocking attacks against Pakistan's religious minorities must be held to account and the need for all places of worship to be protected. Caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani publicly called for those responsible to be brought to justice and reiterated the UK's commitment to freedom of religion or belief for all.