Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she and her Department have had with her counterparts and officials in the Pakistani Government on ensuring the Afghanistan/Pakistan border remains open to (a) Afghan or (b) British nationals looking to leave Afghanistan and reach the UK.

The Foreign Secretary discussed Afghanistan with Pakistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi, including border issues, on 28 September. The High Commissioner and other UK officials in Islamabad are in daily contact with Pakistani officials to ensure both British nationals and eligible Afghan nationals are able to cross the border. We are very grateful for the assistance Pakistan has offered to date and look forward to continuing to work closely with them to get British nationals and vulnerable Afghan citizens to safety.