Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2062):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government when they last held discussions regarding the civil and democratic rights of Ahmadi citizens in Pakistan with (1) the government of Pakistan, and (2) with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth; and what responses they received. (HL2062)
Tabled on: 31 January 2024
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
On 19 January, I raised the need for inclusivity in the upcoming elections with Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. On 25 September 2023, the former Foreign Secretary raised the importance of credible, inclusive, and timely elections with Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar. On 21 August, I wrote to Foreign Minister Jilani to raise concerns about the treatment of minority religious communities and underline the need to ensure all Pakistan’s citizens, including Ahmadi Muslims, are able to exercise their democratic rights. There have been no recent discussions between HMG and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth on Ahmadi citizens in Pakistan. At CHOGM 2022 Commonwealth leaders endorsed specific language, proposed by the UK, that noted that freedom of religion or belief are cornerstones of democratic societies.
Date and time of answer: 19 Feb 2024 at 17:35.
