Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I join millions of people in the country and all over the world in expressing my sorrow and pain at the passing of our great monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Our late Queen was an extraordinary and remarkable lady who ruled us with dignity, wisdom and good humour during our good and bad times over a period of seven decades. Her late Majesty provided unbiased counsel to 15 British Prime...
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the attempt to normalise relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on the five principles Azerbaijan recently offered to Armenia; and the role any non-cooperation from Armenia may have played in hindering such normalisation.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, the Foreign Secretary has had with her Armenian counterpart concerning the release of data about Azerbaijanis who went missing during hostilities in the 1990s.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to provide official channels to support charities sending aid funding to Afghanistan.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given in collaboration with the United Nations about granting an exemption from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan; and how they and international partners will monitor the effectiveness of any agreed resolutions.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reopen the diplomatic mission in Afghanistan; and what discussions they have had with the government of France concerning a joint mission.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to integrate Afghan refugees who have arrived in the UK into the UK labour market at a level which is equivalent to their qualifications.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current situation in Kazakhstan.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. I declare that I am a vice-chair of the APPG for Kazakhstan.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for his response. On 2 January, there were demonstrations in Kazakhstan; President Tokayev responded positively and took appropriate measures to rectify the situation. He also made some political changes. It would seem, however, that there were rioters, and violent action was taken by the Government against them. As members of the CSTO, they...
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Armenia on sharing information with the government of Azerbaijan about Azerbaijanis who went missing during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Armenia on sharing mining maps and data with the government of Azerbaijan to facilitate the process of de-mining.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their position on adopting a formal definition of Islamophobia.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his response. I first raised this matter in your Lordships’ House on 11 July 2019. We were told then that the Government agree that there needs to be a definition and that two advisers would be appointed. One adviser was appointed more than two years ago and nothing tangible has been done since. The Muslim community is concerned about issues relating...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I start by saying that I am totally opposed to the Bill and completely opposed to the principle of assisted suicide. Human life is sacred, and we should do all we can to preserve and enhance human life in every way. It is not appropriate for a medical professional to believe that a patient’s life is no longer worth living. I have received numerous letters from deeply concerned...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, we went to Afghanistan with the United States 20 years ago. I believe that we have achieved much in the country since then. We have built significant infrastructure and rebuilt the cities. The allies trained a military and police force of 300,000, but they capitulated rapidly and surrendered their arms. With the United States, we have spent a total of $2.3 trillion. This sum shows...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, we must change the United Kingdom’s connection with unethical and unacceptable organ transplantation and harvesting. Successful organ transplants are an outstanding achievement. Such medical procedures, carried out with proper safeguards, save lives. I wholeheartedly support the practice. I am the president of the Conservative Muslim Forum, which has over 1,500 members. We are...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I was born and raised in east Africa, and over the years I have travelled to a number of countries in Africa and Asia on business and in the course of my parliamentary duties. Whenever I have been abroad, I have endeavoured, if possible, to see the high commissioner or the ambassador and to meet representatives of DfID, the British Council and the DIT. I have been pleased to note...
