EU Warns Pakistan Over Human Rights Setbacks as GSP+ Trade Benefits Face Fresh Review
ISLAMABAD: The European Union has expressed serious concern over Pakistan’s human rights record, saying that despite several important legal reforms, the country has fallen behind in key areas that could affect its future access to valuable trade benefits under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).
The assessment, released by the European Commission as part of its 2023–2025 monitoring report, reviews Pakistan’s implementation of 27 international conventions covering human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and good governance. The findings come at a crucial time, with revised GSP+ rules scheduled to take effect in 2027, when Pakistan will have to reapply under stricter conditions.
Pakistan has remained one of the biggest beneficiaries of the EU trade scheme since joining it in 2014. In 2024 alone, the country exported goods worth €8.3 billion to the European market and received an estimated €732 million in tariff exemptions, making the European Union Pakistan’s largest export destination. The textile sector, which forms the backbone of Pakistan’s exports, has particularly benefited from the arrangement.
While acknowledging Pakistan’s legislative progress, the Commission stressed that many reforms have yet to bring meaningful change in people’s daily lives. It praised measures such as the Domestic Violence Bill for Islamabad Capital Territory, implementation of the Anti-Torture Act, the establishment of a National Commission for Minorities, the country’s first conviction for marital rape, and reforms narrowing the scope of the death penalty. It also welcomed Pakistan’s ratification of an International Labour Organization protocol against forced labour.
However, the report paints a troubling picture beyond the laws on paper. It says enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, shrinking civic space and growing pressure on journalists continue to undermine the rule of law. The Commission noted that accountability for human rights violations remains weak, while media workers increasingly face intimidation, harassment and legal action for reporting on sensitive issues. It also raised concerns that amendments to Pakistan’s cybercrime and other laws could be used to restrict freedom of expression and silence critics.
The EU further questioned the impact of recent constitutional amendments on judicial independence, military accountability and democratic governance. It also highlighted concerns over political rights, fair trial guarantees, discrimination against religious minorities, violence against women and children, child labour, overcrowded prisons and the treatment of Afghan refugees under Pakistan’s repatriation programme.
Looking ahead, the European Commission urged Pakistan to reverse the negative trends by ensuring accountability for human rights abuses, strengthening judicial independence, protecting freedom of expression and improving safeguards for vulnerable communities. The report makes it clear that future GSP+ eligibility will depend not only on passing new laws but on demonstrating measurable progress in implementing them.
For Pakistan, the message is both a warning and an opportunity. The country’s economic ties with the European Union remain strong, but sustaining those benefits will require more than legislative promises. As the next GSP+ review approaches, Islamabad faces growing pressure to translate reform into reality and convince its largest trading partner that meaningful progress is being made where it matters most.
