Pakistan: Freedom of Expression
(asked on 5th March 2025) - View Source
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Answered by
Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is clear that the freedom to express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. I raised the importance of upholding freedom of information when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and discussed the safety of Pakistani journalists in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The UK also runs the Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship to support South Asian journalists. The UK is committed to promoting human rights and democratic norms in Pakistan - a commitment I discussed with representatives from the UK-Pakistan diaspora on 18 February 2025. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold the right to freedom of expression in accordance with international standards.