Written question asked by Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Triesman (Labour) on Monday, 25 June 2007.

Pakistan: Blasphemy and Apostasy

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will seek to co-ordinate an approach by the European Union to the Government of Pakistan concerning the repeal of the blasphemy laws and the proposed draft Bill on apostasy.

Answer: The EU is already in regular dialogue with the Government of Pakistan on a range of human rights issues, including the reform of discriminatory legislation and the situation of religious minorities in Pakistan. Together with EU partners, we consistently call for Pakistan to promote the rights of minorities and to reform discriminatory legislation such as the blasphemy laws. We will continue to monitor the progress of the draft Apostasy Bill. We have welcomed Pakistan’s stated commitment to human rights for all its citizens, and, together with the EU, we will encourage it to make further concrete steps towards this goal.

Secondary information