Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on religious minorities being subjected to bonded labour in that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking anywhere in the world. Lord [Tariq] Ahmad, Minister for South Asia, raised his concerns about the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan and the need for legal action to protect minority faith communities with Human Rights and Law Minister Azam Tarar on 15 April. The UK's Aawaz II Accountability, Inclusion and Reducing Modern Slavery Programme and Asia Regional Child Labour Programme are working with partners, including the Government of Pakistan, to reduce child and bonded labour. We will continue to raise the issues affecting religious minorities in Pakistan at the highest levels of Government.
May. 09 2024
Source Page: The Evaluation of the Restart SchemeFound: (excluding white ethnic minorities) (33%) than white ethnicities (27%).
Mentions:
1: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) group for international freedom of religion or belief and the all-party parliamentary group for the Pakistani - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Jonathan Gullis (Con - Stoke-on-Trent North) up division in favour of their nihilistic worldview and argue that institutions set out to undermine minorities - Speech Link
2: Jonathan Gullis (Con - Stoke-on-Trent North) I represent a large Pakistani and Muslim community, and given the recent tensions around what has unfolded - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) non-pecuniary interest as co-chair, along with Jim Shannon MP, of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Pakistani - Speech Link
2: Lord Bishop of Guildford (Bshp - Bishops) The diocese also includes the Mirpur district, which has strong connections to the British-Pakistani - Speech Link
3: Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab - Life peer) I am grateful to the noble Lord for highlighting the excellent work of the APPG for Pakistani Minorities - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Afzal Khan (Lab - Manchester, Gorton) countries for which family-related visas were granted last year were Pakistan and India, yet workers of Pakistani - Speech Link
2: Paul Blomfield (Lab - Sheffield Central) They discriminate against minorities, as my hon. - Speech Link
3: Alison Thewliss (SNP - Glasgow Central) one—to say what the impact of this policy will be on people in different geographies, on women, ethnic minorities - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) Since the formation of the new Pakistani cabinet, the Foreign Secretary and the British High Commissioner - Speech Link
2: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Con - Life peer) Lords, notwithstanding the question from the noble Lord, Lord Purvis of Tweed, we should not give the Pakistani - Speech Link
3: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) We engage directly with the All-Party Group on Pakistan Minorities on specific cases. - Speech Link
Apr. 16 2024
Source Page: First Minister addresses STUC Congress 2024Found: I was being reminded by my colleagues, the last time I was in the Caird Hall I was forced by the Pakistani
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan regarding attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the continued persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan and this is regularly raised in our meetings with the Pakistani authorities. On 22 March I met with Pakistan's newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Ishaq Dar to discuss the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. I raised attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques with Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on 13 September and in a letter of 5 October in 2023. On 7 March, the UK formally registered concerns with the Pakistan High Commission, condemning all incidents of hate speech directed towards Ahmadi Muslims, the desecration of Ahmadi mosques, and violence against Ahmadi individuals. In my letter to the newly-appointed Human Rights Minister in March, I underlined the UK's commitment to protecting religious minorities and urged the government of Pakistan to condemn any instances of hate directed towards Ahmadi Muslims and other marginalised religious communities.
Scrutiny evidence Mar. 27 2024
Committee: Secondary Legislation Scrutiny CommitteeFound: following percentage of employees meeting the proposed income threshold at £38,700:21 •White – 29% •Pakistani