Washington, June 5: The European Union (EU) is facing increasing scrutiny for continuing trade concessions to Pakistan despite alleged serious human rights violations. Various human rights organizations and experts have accused Pakistan of failing to make the necessary progress on international human rights standards since the special trade arrangement was implemented in 2014.
The Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Borders (HRWF) has labeled the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP-Plus) status granted to Pakistan as a “bad deal” between the EU and Pakistan. The organization argues that this benefit should be suspended until tangible improvements in human rights are evident.
Turkish journalist Uze Bulut, writing for the American media platform PJ Media, stated that since the agreement took effect in 2014, Pakistan has not shown meaningful progress in implementing international human rights standards. The most affected group has been the Christian minority community in the country.
According to the article, Christians make up less than two percent of Pakistan’s population, yet they face persecution at both social and institutional levels. Incidents of mob violence, misuse of blasphemy laws, economic discrimination, abduction, sexual violence, and forced conversions have been reported consistently.
Bulut accused the EU of continuing to provide significant economic relief to Pakistan despite these issues. Under the GSP-Plus scheme, Pakistan enjoys duty-free or reduced access to over 66 percent of tariff categories in the European market.
The article also references the case of 14-year-old Christian girl Nisha Bibi from Lahore. According to her family and legal representatives, she was allegedly abducted, forced to convert to Islam, and married off. Her father, Abbas Masih, claimed that his daughter went missing while working as a domestic helper in a Muslim household.
The article notes that the legal, religious, and cultural conditions in Pakistan promote gender inequality, making Christian girls more vulnerable to abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage.
Bulut further stated that despite promises to improve human rights, labor rights, and governance, Pakistan has not made the expected progress, particularly in protecting the rights of minority communities.
Nevertheless, Pakistan remains a major beneficiary of the trade advantages provided under the GSP-Plus scheme, raising ongoing questions about EU policies.
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