To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on religious minorities in Pakistan of the ruling by the Islamabad High Court on 9 March that requires citizens to take a religious oath upon joining the civil service, armed forces, or judiciary.
Answered on
3 April 2018
We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. The Islamabad High Court ruling of 9 March, if applied, would be a further negative development which risks discriminating against a number of groups in Pakistan. It is vital that Pakistan upholds and protects the rights of all its citizens regardless of their faith, gender or ethnicity. We routinely raise the issues of freedom of religion and belief and the protection of minority religious communities, with the Pakistan government at a senior level.