Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to prevent the destruction of Ahmadiyya Muslim places of worship in the Punjab region of Pakistan.

We are aware of reports of the desecration of Ahmadi mosques and graves in Pakistan. The UK strongly condemns all instances of hate or violence directed towards Ahmadiyya Muslims and other marginalised religious communities in Pakistan. I [Minister Falconer] underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Azam Tarar on 4 September. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan raised concerns about threats of violence directed towards Ahmadi Muslims with Minister Tarar on 6 November and with the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif on 28 October. We continue to support projects promoting the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan, including facilitating interfaith dialogue and protecting marginalised communities from hate speech online.