In the House of Commons today, Jonathan Gullis MP raised his deep concerns
about the human rights situation in Pakistan. Following the vote of no confidence
in the former Prime Minister Imran Khan last year, there have been violent protests
across Pakistan, where at least ten people are known to have died and thousands of
people have been arrested.
There is currently high inflation and considerable economic volatility in Pakistan,
which has been exacerbated by last year’s devastating floods. Covering over one-
third of the country, killing over 1,000 people and causing billions of dollars in
damage, the added to the sense of deepening political and economic uncertainty.
There are currently over 1.5 million British Pakistanis in the United Kingdom, and
many are dual nationals who divide their time between the two countries. In Stoke-
on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, the Pakistani community have expressed
their concerns to Mr Gullis and as such he has expressed that he is determined to
ensure that his constituents’ concerns were made clear to the Foreign Secretary,
James Cleverly MP.
In the House of Commons, Jonathan Gullis said:
"I am proud to represent many Pakistani and British dual nationals in Stoke-on-
Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke who are rightly concerned about the human
rights violations that are taking place, as well as threats that they fear they will
face if they were to return to see family members in Pakistan. What is the Foreign
Office doing to make sure that those dual nationals will be protected and prevented
from ever being detained?”
Responding, the Foreign Secretary said:
"We have a strong bi-lateral relationship with Pakistan, we have access at the
most senior levels within Government and we make it absolutely clear that those
British nationals are always going to be at the forefront of our mind their
protection and security is always priority for UK Government. That is universally
the case but also something that we make clear to our Pakistani friends."
Commenting, Jonathan Gullis MP said:
“The situation in Pakistan is highly concerning, and I was therefore pleased to be
able to raise concerns to the Government on behalf of the Pakistani community in
Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke about alleged human rights abuses in
Pakistan. The UK and Pakistan share a rich history, and with over 1.5 million
British Pakistanis in the UK, it is vital that the Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office monitor the situation closely.”