§ 23. Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has given to Pakistan in the past two financial years. [1326]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Liam Fox)Total bilateral aid to Pakistan, through the Overseas Development Administration, amounted to £28.11 million in 1994–95 and £31.5 million in 1995–96.
§ Mr. AingerDoes the Minister agree that the dismissal of any democratically elected Government is a cause for concern? Can he assure the House that he will impress on the Pakistani high commissioner and representatives of the interim Government that they should honour the undertaking that there will be free elections in Pakistan on 3 February? Will he at the same time also raise the concerns of many hon. Members and of those who represent human rights organisations about the reputation that Pakistan has gained in recent years for serious abuses of human rights?
§ Dr. FoxI have recently returned from Pakistan, where those very representations about human rights were made extremely clearly on more than one occasion. We believe that the President acted within his constitutional rights. There have been severe accusations made against Mrs. Bhutto's Government in regard to extrajudicial killings and corruption, and we believe that they should be thoroughly investigated. We will encourage the caretaker Government to do everything that they can within their constitutional remit.
§ Lady Olga MaitlandMay I congratulate my hon. Friend on the support that the Government have been giving to Pakistan with its social action programme, especially with regard to literacy schemes for young girls and family planning for married women? I hope that my hon. Friend will confirm that the Government will continue to give that support. I understand that they have in mind a figure of about £30 million over the next five years.
§ Dr. FoxIt is extremely important that the Pakistani Government's social action programme is given full support, given the support to women and to girls' education that it gives in that particular climate. My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that I signed £4.3 million-worth of ODA aid for the Sindh education project, which was designed especially for the education of girls. That is something on which the Government should be congratulated.