Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Pakistan government regarding the Christian couple who were beaten to death, and whose bodies were burned in Eastern Punjab Province.

I was shocked by this brutal killing. I raised this issue with the Pakistani High Commissioner on 28 October. The Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns, issued a statement condemning this act. It is essential the authorities investigate these atrocious murders and bring to justice those responsible. We regularly raise the misuse of the blasphemy laws with the government of Pakistan and will continue to do so.