Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, and intend to make, to the government of Pakistan about (1) the arrest of Gulalai Ismail, and (2) ensuring that human rights defenders in Pakistan are able to carry out their work free from persecution by the state.

We are concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression, including the detention of human rights activists, in Pakistan. The freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. The arrest of Gulalai Ismail is a further worrying development against the backdrop of restrictions on fundamental rights in Pakistan.

We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation with the Government of Pakistan, including on the freedom of expression. I discussed human rights in Pakistan with the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, in September 2018. The British Government continues to urge Pakistan to honour in full its human rights obligations.