Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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373. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of overseas development assistance Ireland gives to Pakistan; if more can be done by Ireland to counter reported prejudices against Christian and Hindu minority groups in Pakistan; if he will examine claims of institutionalised tolerance of sexual abuse in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3880/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland provides funding to Pakistan for humanitarian and development assistance through multilateral and bilateral channels. This funding amounted to more than €3.4 million between 2015 and 2019. Meanwhile between 2009 and 2019, the EU provided over €565 million to Pakistan to support families affected by conflict, malnutrition and food insecurity.

Ireland has consistently condemned all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. I am concerned by reports regarding the position of religious minority groups in Pakistan. The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is a fundamental freedom, provided for under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been ratified by Pakistan. I am aware also of very disturbing reports of forced marriages and other cases of sexual abuse in Pakistan.

The EU has a Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) with Pakistan aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas including to “enhance intercultural and inter-faith dialogue and understanding to promote tolerance and harmony”. Ireland participates actively at EU bilateral dialogues with Pakistan, most recently during the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue on 3 November 2020. EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore met last year with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, as part of ongoing EU-Pakistan human rights dialogue.

Ambassador Sonya McGuinness visited Islamabad earlier this month to present credentials and she met with Minister Mazari to discuss human rights challenges in Pakistan. The discussion covered a wide range of human rights topics including freedom from discrimination on the grounds of religion in Pakistan and Europe.