Media365
The European Union has raised serious concerns over Pakistan’s human rights record, warning that Islamabad will need to address persistent shortcomings if it wants to retain preferential access to the European market under the revised Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) framework from 2027.
In its latest monitoring report covering the 2023-2025 period, jointly published by the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Brussels said Pakistan had “regressed in a number of areas while positive change was limited”, despite introducing several legislative reforms.
The warning carries significant economic implications for Pakistan, which was the largest beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ trade scheme last year. According to the Commission, Pakistan received approximately €732 million in tariff exemptions in 2024, equivalent to about 9 per cent of its exports to the European Union.
The report acknowledged progress in areas such as the establishment of a National Commission for Minorities, a narrower application of the death penalty, implementing rules under the Anti-Torture Act, a domestic violence law for Islamabad Capital Territory, and Pakistan’s first-ever conviction for marital rape.
However, it cautioned that “most progress is of legislative and administrative nature and needs to be translated into real improvements on the ground.”
The Commission’s assessment was dominated by concerns over Pakistan’s human rights record, particularly the increase in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The report said Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances had closed more than 9,000 cases without establishing state responsibility and had not secured a single prosecution.
It also criticised Islamabad for refusing to introduce a standalone law criminalising enforced disappearances, despite repeated recommendations from United Nations bodies.
The Commission further expressed concern that amendments to anti-terrorism laws in Balochistan and Punjab could allow preventive detention without charge, trial or adequate judicial oversight.
According to the report, such provisions risk being used against political dissidents, journalists, students, human rights defenders and relatives of victims.
The report said freedom of expression had worsened despite the passage of legislation aimed at protecting journalists.
It cited intimidation, harassment, violence against reporters and the increasing use of strategic lawsuits against journalists and lawyers reporting on sensitive issues.
The Commission also flagged provisions in Pakistan’s cybercrime law, criminal defamation, blasphemy, sedition and counter-terrorism legislation, saying vague definitions of offences had created a “significant chilling effect” on journalists, minorities, human rights defenders and government critics.
Internet shutdowns around the 2024 general elections, protests and in Balochistan were also highlighted as major concerns.
Blasphemy laws, minority rights remain concerns
The EU report devoted special attention to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
It said a so-called “blasphemy business group” had trapped more than 800 people, mostly young men, in online extortion schemes during the monitoring period. Although authorities reportedly dismantled the network, more than 300 wrongly accused individuals remained in prison as of April 2025.
The Commission noted that no one had ever been prosecuted in Pakistan for filing false blasphemy accusations.
Religious minorities, particularly Ahmadi Muslims, continued to face discrimination, violence and criminal prosecution under discriminatory laws, the report said.
It also cited attacks on places of worship, desecration of Ahmadi mosques and graves, and targeted killings, adding that prosecutions for hate crimes remained rare, creating a climate of impunity.
Judiciary and political rights under pressure
The Commission also questioned Pakistan’s judicial independence following recent constitutional amendments.
It said the reforms had raised concerns about military accountability, the rule of law and fair trial guarantees, while longstanding problems such as case backlogs and alleged intimidation of judges continued.
Political rights were also found to have deteriorated.
The report pointed to the detention of opposition leaders, including a former prime minister, under conditions raising concerns over access to lawyers, medical care and fair trial guarantees.
It further stated that military trials failed to meet international standards under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The Commission also warned that civil society organisations faced increasing restrictions through tighter registration requirements and limits on foreign funding.
Labour reforms recognised but implementation weak
Beyond human rights, the report reviewed Pakistan’s commitments on labour rights, environmental protection, climate action and governance.
It welcomed Pakistan’s ratification of the International Labour Organisation’s 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention and the expansion of labour inspection mechanisms.
However, enforcement remained weak, while forced labour continued to affect large sections of the workforce. Child labour was declining only gradually despite new provincial action plans, the report noted.
GSP+ benefits remain economically significant
The EU remains Pakistan’s largest export market, accounting for about 28 per cent of the country’s exports.
Textiles and clothing make up roughly 70-76 per cent of Pakistan’s exports to Europe and are heavily dependent on GSP+ tariff preferences.
EU imports from Pakistan stood at €8.3 billion in 2024, recovering from €7.9 billion in 2023 after reaching €9.4 billion in 2022.
Around 90 per cent of Pakistani exports remained eligible for GSP+ preferences during 2022-2024, with utilisation rising to 95 per cent last year.
The Commission noted that Pakistan’s continued access to the preferential trade scheme would depend on concrete improvements before the revised GSP framework comes into force on January 1, 2027.
“To ensure further GSP+ eligibility and compliance with international commitments, including in view of the revised GSP rules as of 2027, key priorities for future engagement include ensuring accountability for human rights violations, increased efforts against torture, prison and capital punishment reforms, reversing negative developments in relation to enforced disappearances and violations of freedom of expression,” the report said.
The Commission concluded that while Pakistan had made some legislative progress, tangible improvements in implementation, accountability and protection of fundamental rights would be essential if it hopes to retain its privileged access to the EU market.
