Pakistan: Violence

Mr. Jim Cunningham
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken to protect British citizens and officials in Pakistan from the recent violence.

Dr. Howells
We take a close concern in the safety of our citizens abroad and regularly discuss with the Pakistani authorities the protection of British nationals, including our officials in Pakistan. Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Pakistan is regularly updated. Our diplomatic missions in Pakistan are monitoring developments closely, keeping staff and the community advised and reviewing and updating their contingency plans. British residents and visitors are being encouraged to register with our missions. All this is prudent. To date, however, foreign nationals have been largely unaffected by the political situation.