EU to 'reassess' trade ties with Pakistan over human rights violations, blasphemy laws

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday, Sept. 8 announced that it will conduct the immediate ‘reassessment’ of the EU-Pakistan trade agreements reached in January 2014, ending the Southeast Asian nation’s eligibility for the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) status, ANI reported, citing the Pakistan newspaper Dawn. The EU criticised Pakistan’s inability to curb the human rights violations within the country as the reason for it to reconsider the bilateral trade ties. Pakistan has been widely condemned for its draconian blasphemy laws and for not implementing the EU’s joint motion for a resolution that urged the Islamic Republic to opt for a more comprehensive approach to address humanitarian abuses committed under the Blasphemy laws. 

Pakistan recently charged an eight-year-old Hindu child under controversial law and held him in police custody. The child was “falsely indulged in these matters,” the family had reportedly said. The Blasphemy law in Pakistan has been disproportionately used to exploit those who hold religious freedom and to incite harassment, violence, and murder unjustly on the accused. People charged with blasphemy flee due to threats to their lives regardless of the outcome of judicial procedures.

Pakistan’s Blasphemy laws are often abused to serve in the interest of the accuser. The EU had condemned Pakistan for the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel, who have been on death row since 2014 for allegedly sending ‘blasphemous’ text messages. This led to the appeals to the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to “immediately review Pakistan’s eligibility for GSP+ status in light of current events”.

Pak benefited from generous tariff, no improvement in human rights situation

As per the EU-Pakistan trade regime, the goods from the developing Asian nation are allowed to enter the bloc with an exemption to the import duties. Pakistan’s annual trade with the EU has recently jumped from Euro 4.538 billion to Euro 7.492 billion, an estimated  65 percent making EU Pakistan’s key trade and economy partner. In 2020, Pakistan’s export to the EU, from majorly the textile and clothing industry, stood at 28 percent of the country's total export. The EU's 3rd Biennial Assessment of GSP, published in 2020 called into question the status quo of the country's GSP+ benefits. A Joint Motion for a Resolution, backed by all major global political groups, and MEPs, pushed the EU to conduct an immediate review of Pakistan’s eligibility for GSP+ status, and a decision of withdrawal was reached. 

“From January 1, 2014, Pakistan has benefited from generous tariff preferences (mostly zero duties on two-thirds of all product categories) under the so-called GSP+ arrangement aiming to support sustainable development and good governance,” the declassified report published by EU read. It adds that Pakistan was obliged to ratify and effectively implement 27 core international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental protection, and good governance but failed to fulfill its commitment. “Abuse of Blasphemy Laws in Islamabad is a major concern,” EU’s political report alleged.