Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on releasing the Christian prisoners of conscience (a) Shagufta Kausar and (b) Shafqat Emmanuel detained in that country.

We continue to actively monitor the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel who remain in detention in Pakistan. We understand that their hearing has been rescheduled to 22 June. We remain deeply concerned about reports of discrimination against the Christian community and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

We regularly raise at a senior level the issue of the blasphemy laws with the authorities in Pakistan. In Pakistan and elsewhere these laws have targeted Muslims and non-Muslims. The UK Government condemns any instance where the content or application of blasphemy legislation encourages or justifies violence or discrimination, or causes a violation of a person's Human Rights. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan met the Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 20 January and raised issues surrounding blasphemy and the death penalty, which the UK remains firmly opposed to in all circumstances. In February, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the UK's concerns about the situation for prisoners in detention under trial in Pakistan, particularly for blasphemy cases. Most recently, Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty in Pakistan by letter with Dr Mazari on 5 June. In addition, The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner CMG, met with Dr Mazari and raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty on 8 June.