Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Afghanistan Government on protecting Hazaras people in Ghazni and Uruzgan provinces.

We regularly raise issues concerning freedom of religion with the Government of Afghanistan, underlining, the need to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in line with the constitution of Afghanistan.

We are concerned about the high number of civilian casualties and displaced persons that have resulted from the recent violence in Ghazni and Uruzgan. We urge that all parties to the conflict respect International Humanitarian Law, protecting the civilian population and facilitating the provision of assistance by neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies. We assess that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) are now working to stabilise the security situation in both provinces. We understand that those who have been displaced are receiving assistance from local authorities.

We continue to monitor the impact that fighting may have had on tensions between different communities. Ultimately, we urge all parties to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict, which is causing the tragic death of innocent civilians.