Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL563):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the report Unequal Citizens – Ending Systematic Discrimination Against Minorities, published by the National Commission on Human Rights in May 2022; and what steps they are taking to prevent the practices analysed in the publication. (HL563)
Tabled on: 26 May 2022
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
The National Commission on Human Rights’ report highlights the challenges faced by Pakistani minorities in accessing government roles and the poor conditions they often face as low-paid sanitation workers. The UK regularly raises concerns regarding the protection of minorities at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. Our programme funding seeks to reinforce these messages and to address the underlying causes. The Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), a UK Government-funded multi-country programme, has implemented a project in Pakistan to protect minorities who work as sewage and sanitation workers. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, particularly the most vulnerable.
Date and time of answer: 13 Jun 2022 at 16:53.
