Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that modules which promote freedom of religion or belief and religious tolerance are included in all future Department for International Development capacity building programmes in Pakistan.

All DFID programmes in Pakistan, including capacity building programmes, support the poorest and most excluded people and communities regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. The promotion of Freedom of Religious belief and religious tolerance is an important aspect of this approach. Since 2010, DFID’s skills Development Programme has trained over 332,000 poor and vulnerable people to improve their employment prospects, including people from religious minorities. We regularly raise the importance of religious tolerance at senior levels with the Government of Pakistan.