Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on (a) Shagufta Kauser, (b) Hussain Moosa and (c) other prisoners facing death sentences under blasphemy laws in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are concerned about the issue of blasphemy laws, which has affected both Muslims and non-Muslims. It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We continue to closely monitor, the case of Shagufta Kausar and her husband Shafqat Emmanuel, whose appeal hearing is delayed until September due to court closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UK Government regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and blasphemy laws at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. Most recently, the Minister of State for South Asia and human rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised concerns on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty with Dr Mazari, Pakistan's Human Right Minister, on 15 July. Lord Ahmad also raised our concerns regarding the blasphemy laws, including the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel, with Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency Nafees Zakaria, on 23 June. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti MP, has also spoken to the Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK about Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on releasing the Christian prisoners of conscience (a) Shagufta Kausar and (b) Shafqat Emmanuel detained in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We continue to actively monitor the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel who remain in detention in Pakistan. We understand that their hearing has been rescheduled to 22 June. We remain deeply concerned about reports of discrimination against the Christian community and other religious minorities in Pakistan.
We regularly raise at a senior level the issue of the blasphemy laws with the authorities in Pakistan. In Pakistan and elsewhere these laws have targeted Muslims and non-Muslims. The UK Government condemns any instance where the content or application of blasphemy legislation encourages or justifies violence or discrimination, or causes a violation of a person's Human Rights. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan met the Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 20 January and raised issues surrounding blasphemy and the death penalty, which the UK remains firmly opposed to in all circumstances. In February, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the UK's concerns about the situation for prisoners in detention under trial in Pakistan, particularly for blasphemy cases. Most recently, Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty in Pakistan by letter with Dr Mazari on 5 June. In addition, The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner CMG, met with Dr Mazari and raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the death penalty on 8 June.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case of the Pakistani Christian woman, Shagufta Kauser, who, with her disabled husband, Shafqat Emmanuel, was sentenced to death in 2014, for allegedly sending blasphemous text messages, including reports that the couple are illiterate and that the messages were in English; and what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about this case.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware and are monitoring the case of Shagufta Kausar and her husband Shafqat Emmanuel. We remain deeply concerned about reports of discrimination against the Christian community and other religious minorities in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about the misuse of the blasphemy laws with the government of Pakistan at a senior level.
I raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, during my visit to Islamabad in February. The UK raised concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief at Pakistan's UN Universal Periodic Review of human rights in November 2017. We urged Pakistan to strengthen the protection of minorities, including by establishing an independent National Commission for Minorities from all faith communities.
The UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. We have repeatedly called upon the Government of Pakistan to end capital punishment and, at a minimum, commit to publicly renewing the previously imposed moratorium on the death penalty.
We will 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.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what response they have received from representations they have made on behalf of (1) Pastor John Cao, (2) Mussie Ezaz, (3) Imran Ghafur Masih, (4) Mussie Eyob, (5) Mohammed Roghangir Mohammad, (6) Le Dinh Luong, (7) Nguyễn Văn Hoá, (8) Nguyễn Trung Tôn, (9) Bakhrom Kholmatov, (10) Hadi Asgari, (11) Amin Afshar Naderi, (12) Ebrahim Firouzi, (13) Qaisar and Amoon Ayub, (14) Abraham Ben Moses, (15) Shagufta Kausar, (16) Shafqat Emmanuel, (17) Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, (18) Saheb Fadaie, and (19) Yasser Mohammad Reza Omidi, all of whom are prisoners of conscience who have reportedly been subject to torture.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government regards Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. We raise a range of cases, but cannot routinely discuss publicly the details of individual cases for the protection of those involved.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office encourages all States to uphold their international human rights obligations. Any allegations of human rights violations are concerning and must be thoroughly, promptly and transparently investigated.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Pakistan government on the case of Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar who have been sentenced to death for allegedly sending a text message regarding the prophet Mohamed.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
I am concerned to hear about the case of Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar and the imposition of the death penalty on them. We regularly raise the issue of blasphemy laws, and their misuse against both Muslims and religious minorities, at the highest levels in Pakistan. We have consistently pressed the government of Pakistan on the issue of the death penalty and our principled opposition to it in all cases and we will continue to raise both these issues with the government of Pakistan.