Pakistan: Freedom of Religion

The hon. Member for North Antrim inquired about the impact of interventions from bodies like Amnesty International on religious freedom issues in Pakistan, particularly concerning forced marriages and honour killings.

The hon. Member for Mid Leicestershire stated that religious freedom issues also encompass women's rights and LGBT rights, which are interconnected with the broader human rights agenda in Pakistan.

The hon. Member for East Londonderry paid tribute to Jim Shannon for securing the debate and his ongoing efforts to address religious persecution, commending organisations such as Open Doors that publish detailed reports on human rights violations.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Strangford on securing the debate and thank the Backbench Business Committee, through which he secured it. I also congratulate him on this upgrade from Westminster Hall to the main Chamber. The briefing that the all-party parliamentary group received recently highlighted that the situation has got significantly worse this year, with at least four people murdered because of their religion. People in prison face extremely precarious situations and publications are banned. In addition, aid provided by the UK must not be abused; for example, Ahmadiyya schools were nationalised without being returned to the community. We should also consider funding organisations campaigning for human rights in Pakistan. The situation has worsened in Balochistan with severe repression leading to a resistance movement and peace movement being repressed.

I thank the hon. Member for Strangford for securing the debate and am grateful for other Members' contributions. The Pakistani Government's claim of promoting religious freedom is sadly untrue, with widespread evidence of state-supported discrimination against Ahmadi Muslims and others under blasphemy laws. Ahmadi Muslims face persecution merely for observing their faith in Pakistan. Unless they declare themselves non-Muslims, they are not permitted to stand for office or vote. We have an absolute duty to enforce this and make sure it happens. The UK should raise its voice louder on this issue as we are Pakistan's third largest trading partner.

The hon. Member Alex Ballinger highlighted the importance of discussing religious freedom in Pakistan, drawing on his three-year experience working there with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office from 2019 to 2021. He emphasised positive examples like the Kartarpur corridor but also detailed several cases of brutality against religious minorities, such as mob attacks on Christian nurses Mariam Lal and Newsh Arooj, the lynching of Buddhist Priyantha Kumara, and the stabbing of Ahmadi Naseer Ahmed. Mr Ballinger stressed that these incidents were not isolated, reflecting routine violence and discrimination faced by minority communities in Pakistan. He also mentioned issues like false conversions, mosque destructions, school closures, and discriminatory marriage laws targeting Ahmadis.

The hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam highlighted the ongoing persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, emphasising that nearly half a century after the United Nations resolution against discrimination on religious grounds, such practices persist in countries like Pakistan. He discussed specific cases where Ahmadi Muslims were murdered under hateful rhetoric incited by extremist clerics. The speaker also mentioned violent hate crimes and arrests of Ahmadi Muslims for celebrating Eid, underlining how local officials often enable or participate in these acts. Taylor called on the UK Government to utilise its leverage with Pakistan to advocate for religious freedoms and to take serious steps towards ending discrimination against minorities.

The UK and Pakistan share a close relationship, with the latter being a Commonwealth partner. The debate highlights issues such as persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan, including Christians, Ahmadi Muslims, and Hindus. The hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam spoke passionately about the persecution of Ahmadis, while the hon. Member for Halesowen, who served as a diplomat in Islamabad, provided first-hand accounts of persecutions. Freedom of religion is enshrined but increasingly restricted by blasphemy laws; Christians face 25% of all blasphemy accusations despite being only 2% of the population. In August last year, at least 17 churches were burned down due to false blasphemy allegations, and in July 2023, a Hindu temple was attacked. The previous Government established a programme to protect minorities working as sewage workers; will this continue under the new Government? The Minister is asked to assure that Ministers will raise issues of extrajudicial killings of Ahmadis with Pakistani counterparts. There are concerns about the treatment of religious freedom after recent elections in Pakistan, and questions arise regarding the rule of law and fair trials for political figures like Imran Khan.

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this important debate... We will urge the authorities to ensure the safe return of all journalists.

Frequently, when accusations are made—accusations that are often vexatious and malicious, with no evidential basis whatsoever—the police stand by and do nothing to control the mob violence. Could the Minister perhaps take that on board when he next has discussions with the Pakistani Government? We want a Pakistan police force that is independent and applies the same rule of law to everyone, but it is clear that that is not currently the case.

Many people whose young female children have been abducted and kidnapped for the purpose of marriage are probably illiterate—I am just being observational here—and do not understand the paperwork in front of them. When our deputation was in Pakistan back in 2023, we suggested that a legal representative should be made available to each of those people to take their cases forward. It is a simple measure, but it would be incredibly effective.

We have heard about the barbaric attacks on Christians in Jaranwala province, the relentless persecution of the Ahmadis, the genocidal violence against Shi’a Muslims in Parachinar and the oppression of the Baloch people. The actions we take today will speak louder than any words. We must influence change and hold the Pakistani Government accountable to stand with the oppressed. Let us remember that fighting for religious freedom is a duty, and I thank every Member who has contributed to the debate.