Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Pakistan Government on the (a)construction of a new Hindu temple in Islamabad and (b) obligation to guarantee fundamental rights of religious freedom to their citizens.

We are closely monitoring the situation regarding the construction of the Shri Krishna Mandir temple in Islamabad. The UK Government remains deeply concerned by reports of discrimination against religious minorities in Pakistan, including against the Hindu community. Our High Commission in Islamabad frequently engages with the Hindu community to understand their needs and continues to raise our concerns about the issues surrounding the construction of the Shri Krishna Mandir temple with the Government of Pakistan. In addition, we regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority communities with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. Most recently, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister for South Asia, raised these concerns with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 27 August.