To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote freedom of religion or belief for Ahmadiyya Muslims.
Answered on
1 February 2022
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
We remain deeply concerned about the severity and scale of violations and abuses towards Ahmadi Muslims in different parts of the world. Bilaterally, Ministers and officials regularly raise specific cases of concern, and do not shy away from challenging those we believe are not meeting their obligations whether publicly or in private. On 22 and 23 June 2021 during a visit to Pakistan, The Minister of State responsible for human rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the treatment of minorities, including Ahmadi Muslims, with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari. He also raised the use of cybercrime laws against members of the Ahmadi community with Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar.
In addition to meetings with the Government of Pakistan, Lord Ahmad met representatives of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and took part in an interfaith roundtable to better understand the concerns of religious or belief minorities in Pakistan. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, has also been working closely with international actors and civil society to promote FoRB for all, including Ahmadi Muslims. On 12 April 2021, the Envoy met with representatives from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and reaffirmed the UK Government's ongoing commitment to promoting FoRB for all, including Ahmadi Muslims.