Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the exclusion of Ahmadi Muslims from the right to vote in Pakistan’s elections.

We are deeply concerned about restrictions on the freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. The Government strongly condemns the discrimination of all minorities, including legislation which acts as a barrier to Ahmadiyya Muslims taking part in the democratic process fully.

We regularly raise with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels the importance of religious tolerance and its duty to uphold the rights of all Pakistan’s citizens regardless of religious identity. The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of advancing the rights of minorities during her telephone call with Imran Khan in August following his election as Prime Minister of Pakistan. I raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan’s Human Rights Minister in September 2018.

At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan’s human rights record in 2017, the UK urged Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities, including by having a fully inclusive electoral roll without discrimination or religious bias, and by establishing an independent National Commission for Minorities.

We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee fully the rights of all Pakistani citizens, including religious minorities, and to honour its international obligations.