Rights activists have called on the European Union to investigate what they describe as widespread human rights violations in Pakistan, including the persecution of religious minorities, ahead of a review starting on Monday, 24 November, by a key EU mission monitoring the country’s eligibility for preferential trade terms.
The EU delegation will carry out a periodic assessment of Pakistan’s implementation of 27 UN conventions linked to the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which reduces or eliminates duties on exports to the EU for countries that commit to “sustainable development and good governance”.
Countries benefiting from this status are required to implement 27 international conventions covering human rights, labour rights, good governance and environmental protection. Pakistan has enjoyed GSP+ status since 2014, contributing to a 108 per cent increase in textile exports to the EU as a result of reduced or zero tariffs.
During its visit, the EU mission is scheduled to meet representatives of government institutions, civil society, human rights organisations, workers’ groups and the private sector. The review mission had originally been planned for June but was postponed due to the Iran–Israel conflict.
“The Pakistan government has completely failed to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities to protect the fundamental rights of Pakistani people guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan and protected by international conventions and protocols,” said Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) Chairman Akmal Bhatti.
Bhatti, an advocate of the high courts, said religious minorities, particularly Christians, continue to face religious discrimination and institutional hostility in Pakistan.
“The blasphemy law continues to be misused, and the main perpetrators of the false allegations are working in connivance with state institutions,” Bhatti told Christian Daily International. “Glaring evidence of this evil nexus was exposed during the proceedings held in the Islamabad High Court by Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq. The judge directed the government to form a judicial commission for a fair and transparent investigation, but the verdict was suspended by an appellate bench of the high court. It is the prime duty of the federal government to probe these cases and the international community must monitor its progress.”
Bhatti also criticised the authorities for a lack of accountability over the August 2023 attack on multiple churches and Christian homes in Jaranwala, Faisalabad Division, Punjab Province.
“Though the government has now imposed a ban on the extremist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan [TLP] and launched a crackdown against its cadres, it failed to arrest the TLP leaders who led the violent attacks against Christians in Jaranwala, including the group’s local chief who was nominated in at least two cases related to the incident,” he said.
He further noted that the Punjab provincial government had not yet passed a law criminalising child marriage, despite a bill having been submitted to the provincial assembly in April 2024.
“We have been demanding a law criminalising forced faith conversions as well as raising the legal age of marriage for both boys and girls to 18 years as a deterrent against false conversions, but the Punjab government is sitting on the issue for reasons not known to the public,” he said. “The EU mission must question the government leaders about the draft bill’s status when it meets them.”
Bhatti added that, among other issues, the EU mission should examine the demand from religious minorities to be allowed to elect their own representatives under Pakistan’s constitution.
“We have also been demanding the removal of the constitutional bar on non-Muslims from being elected as president and prime minister of the country,” he said. “If all citizens are equal in the eyes of the constitution and the law, then this restriction on non-Muslims must end.”
Pakistan Masiha Millat Party Chairman Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra echoed Bhatti’s concerns about the condition of minorities in the country.
“There has been no improvement in Pakistan’s human rights situation, in fact it has only worsened over the years,” Sahotra told Christian Daily International.
He rejected government assertions that conditions for minorities had improved.
“Continuing to extend trade benefits despite ongoing rights violations sends a dangerous message that economic interests outweigh human rights,” Sahotra said. “The EU must ensure that its trade policies uphold its core values of accountability, rule of law and justice for Pakistan’s persecuted minorities.”
In an interview with Dawn News this week, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis said Pakistan must demonstrate stronger progress on its international commitments if it is to remain eligible for the GSP+ preferential trade scheme.
He said the EU review mission would examine Pakistan’s compliance in areas including human rights, protection of minorities, the death penalty, blasphemy laws, enforced disappearances, women’s rights, child labour and forced labour.
On enforced disappearances, the ambassador said the issue remained a priority concern for the EU. He noted the establishment of a commission to examine such cases but indicated that the mission would assess whether existing mechanisms were adequate.
Pakistan’s GSP+ status was extended in October 2023 until 2027, but the current monitoring cycle is expected to influence the country’s reapplication under a revised scheme due to take effect in 2027. In return for implementing the 27 conventions, Pakistan has benefited from duty-free or reduced duties on exports to the EU, including apparel, home textiles and surgical instruments, according to a 2022 report by the Ministry of Commerce.
Export earnings from the EU rose to 3.17 billion US dollars in the period July–October, up from 3 billion US dollars in the corresponding months of the previous year, according to figures from the State Bank of Pakistan released on Monday, 17 November.
The EU monitors countries granted GSP+ status to ensure they continue to uphold and effectively implement the relevant international conventions. Beneficiary countries must comply with reporting obligations and accept regular monitoring in line with the conventions.
As part of this process, countries hold dialogues on implementation of the 27 conventions, with a public report submitted to Brussels for review every two years.
According to the EU’s GSP Convention Compliance Database, Pakistan has ratified 27 international conventions, most recently ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976) and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987) in 2010.
For its current monitoring of Pakistan, the EU has prioritised 13 key areas: enforced disappearances; prevention of torture; the death penalty; freedom of expression and belief and minority rights; violence against women, transgender persons and minorities; the right to information; labour inspectorates; freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; child and forced labour; combating climate change and environmental degradation; the fight against corruption; drug control; and reporting.
Originally published on christiandaily.com.
Pakistan’s GSP+ record under formal scrutiny in new EU Today white paper
