Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Anelay of St Johns, a written question about the discussions the Government had undertaken with Pakistan’s government about the blasphemy laws and human rights commitments.
Read the full transcript here:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan concerning the relationship between blasphemy laws there and that country’s human rights commitments, particularly in the light of the Lahore High Court’s decision to uphold the death penalty passed against Asia Bibi.[HL2276]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): We regularly raise at the highest levels Pakistan’s human rights commitments including the misuse of blasphemy laws both against Muslims and against religious minorities. We are concerned to hear about the case of Asia Bibi and reports that a court has upheld the imposition of the death penalty. We have consistently pressed the Government of Pakistan on the issue of the death penalty and expressed our principled opposition to it in all cases and we will ensure that we continue to do so.
(Via Parliament.UK)
The Church of England in Parliament 
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