Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the judgment in the Maira Shahbaz case with Pakistan’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief and the rights of women and girls in Pakistan. We regularly raise concerns about the protection of religious minorities, including forced marriage and conversion, with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels, and consistently encourage it to guarantee the rights of all people in line with its international human rights commitments. We also support efforts to address these issues through our development programming, including the Aawaz II programme, which works with communities to promote the rights of women and girls, support victims, and challenge harmful practices.