Tel Aviv, July 18 (IANS) The European Union’s (EU) latest assessment of Pakistan on trade preferences under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) granted by the EU resembles a carefully prepared chargesheet rather than a routine monitoring report, highlighting the worsening human rights record in the country.
It places Pakistan’s democratic trajectory under heightened international scrutiny, while warning that future trade preferences may ultimately rest on genuine institutional reform instead of legislative promises, a report has stated,
Writing in 'Times of Israel', Michael Arizanti, writer and expert on Middle East affairs, described the EU report as one of the "sharpest official assessments" so far, exposing Pakistan’s democratic decline and human rights record.
Arizanti noted that Pakistan has enjoyed preferential trade access under the EU’s GSP+ trade scheme since 2014, remaining the largest beneficiary.
"These trade preferences are not unconditional economic benefits; they are linked to Pakistan’s obligation to uphold 27 international conventions covering human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and good governance. The assessment, therefore, raises an obvious question: can Pakistan continue to enjoy the commercial advantages of GSP Plus while steadily drifting away from the standards on which the program is built?" he asked.
According to the expert, although Pakistan remains an important trading partner for the European Union, its continued preferential market access cannot remain indefinitely insulated from concerns over its democratic and human rights record.
The Commission outlined a series of priority reforms for Pakistan, including ending enforced disappearances, strengthening judicial independence, improving prison conditions, protecting journalists, amending cybercrime and blasphemy laws, enhancing safeguards for minorities and ensuring accountability for human rights violations.
Arizanti noted that the development underscores a broader shift in European trade policy, where preferential market access is increasingly tied to governance, sustainability and compliance with international standards.
"For Pakistan, the stakes extend well beyond tariff concessions. Nearly 28 per cent of its exports are destined for the European Union, making Europe its largest export market. Any reduction in GSP+ benefits would affect one of the country’s most important sources of export revenue at a time when it continues to grapple with high poverty, fragile foreign exchange reserves and deep structural economic challenges," he stated.
The EU has expressed serious concerns over human rights abuses in Pakistan, warning that the country’s continued access to the trade benefits under GSP+ will depend on compliance with its international commitments under the revised GSP rules from 2027.
In its latest joint monitoring report for the 2023-2025 period, the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy noted that Pakistan faced shortcomings in complying with its obligations under the GSP+ framework during the review period.
According to the report, Pakistan has "regressed in a number of areas while positive change was limited," raising alarm over the rule of law and shrinking space for civil society.
"Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings increased, without accountability for perpetrators. Freedom of expression deteriorated due to further amendments to cybercrime, anti-terrorism and blasphemy laws, allowing for vague provisions to be used against dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, minorities and ordinary citizens. This includes criminal and administrative procedures that may result in imprisonment, financial confiscation or denial of travel abroad," said the report, highlighting worsening human rights conditions in Pakistan.
--IANS
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