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 Pakistani counterpart on the detention of Mahrang Baloch.

The UK is clear that the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We remain deeply concerned over reports of human rights violations and abuses against human rights defenders in Balochistan. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to raise the human rights situation in Balochistan with the Pakistani authorities at the highest levels and has raised the detention of Dr. Mahrang Baloch with Pakistan's Minister for Law and Justice.