Islamabad (TDI): The European Union (EU) has warned Pakistan not to take its Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) for granted.
Olof Skoog, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights who is currently on a week-long trip to Pakistan, has also urged the government against moves to restrict freedom of expression.
The envoy said that he had conveyed these messages in meetings with top authorities.
The focus of his trip is to engage with the government on pressing human rights issues, and learn about Pakistan’s plans to address them ahead of the upcoming GSP+ monitoring mission, due in June 2025, Dawn.com reported on Thursday.
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The envoy’s insights will be crucial to securing continued access to the GSP+ status, given Pakistan’s reliance on the scheme, which provides preferential access to EU markets.
The EU has previously expressed concern over the sentencing of protesters being tried over their role in the events of May 9 — when riots erupted following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
In a statement issued after the announcement of sentences handed down by military courts, it said “these verdicts are seen as inconsistent with the obligations that Islamabad has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.
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Skoog said that the next round of the GSP+ scheme hinges upon on what Islamabad does in terms of complying with the different international obligations they have made, adding that it “cannot be taken for granted that GSP+ status will be there for the next round”.