ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ trade arrangement, registering €7.5 billion in exports to the EU in 2024 under preferential tariffs, according to the 5th GSP report released on Thursday, which evaluates the implementation of 27 core international conventions in recipient countries.
The report adds that Pakistan also achieved an impressive take-up rate of over 95%, underscoring the country’s effective utilization of the trade benefits offered under the programme.
The GSP+ arrangement, which grants developing countries reduced or zero tariffs in return for progress in human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and good governance, has played a significant role in strengthening Pakistan’s export sector. The country outperformed other GSP+ members, with the Philippines and Sri Lanka trailing in export value.
However, the European Union expressed “serious concerns” over the worsening implementation of human rights conventions, particularly in the areas of freedom of expression and media, extrajudicial killings and peaceful assembly, and called on Pakistan to repeal or amend laws, including the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act.
In its GSP+ monitoring report, the 27-nation club asked Pakistan that “to ensure further GSP+ eligibility and compliance with international obligations”, it must reverse the negative developments that took place from 2023 to 2025.
“Serious concerns remain as significant systemic challenges continued to the implementation of human rights conventions, with a worsening of the situation, particularly in relation to enforced disappearances, minority rights, freedom of the media and freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said the report published on Thursday.
It added that impunity for human rights violations remains a major concern.
The EU said Pakistan needed to take robust steps to reverse negative trends in enforced disappearances and violations of freedom of expression. “In this regard, laws on blasphemy, cybercrime (such as PECA), defamation, counter-terrorism and sedition should be amended or repealed”.
The EU said that in light of the revised GSP rules from 2027, key priorities for future engagement include ensuring accountability for human rights abuses; increased efforts against torture; prison and death penalty reforms; to reverse the negative trend in relation to enforced disappearances and violations of freedom of expression.
It has also asked Pakistan to effectively address violence against women; ensuring children’s access to education; end child marriage; effective implementation of the newly established provincial and territorial action plans to eliminate child labour; intensifying enforcement of existing laws against forced labor; limiting discrimination against minorities; strengthening the independence, impartiality and operational capacity of anti-corruption agencies at the federal and provincial levels.
The report noted that during the 2023-2025 monitoring period, Pakistan has faced compliance issues with its GSP+ commitments. “It has regressed in a number of areas, while positive changes were limited”.
Pakistan has benefited from the EU’s Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance, known as GSP+, since 2014, and remains its largest recipient at €7.5 billion. EUR in GSP+ approved exports to the EU in 2024. EU imports from Pakistan in 2022-2024 remained high in 2022-2024 and then declined to 20 billion. €8.3 billion in 2024, reflecting a broader slowdown in EU demand.
Pakistan remained the largest GSP+ recipient and the EU was its main export market, accounting for 28% of the country’s total exports, with textiles and clothing accounting for around 70-76% of the country’s exports to the EU in 2024.
The report further noted that there remain significant concerns that generally affect the rule of law and the civil society space. Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings increased, with no accountability for the perpetrators.
The EU monitoring mission wrote that freedom of expression was undermined by further changes to cybercrime, anti-terrorism and blasphemy laws that allow vague provisions to be used against dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, minorities and ordinary citizens.
“This includes criminal and administrative procedures that may result in imprisonment, financial confiscation or refusal to travel abroad.”
It also said that recent constitutional amendments have been criticized for further undermining the independence of the judiciary. This was compounded by issues such as obstacles to due process and access to justice.
Political rights
The report stated that political rights are adversely affected by, among other things, the abuse of court proceedings and the detention of opposition supporters and leaders, including a former prime minister, with concerns about due process and conditions of detention, including access to lawyers, visitors and medical care.
UE said that during the 2023-25 reporting period, restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information remained severe and persistent.
Despite the passage of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, Pakistan’s media freedom further deteriorated as the working environment for journalists became increasingly hostile and dangerous, including reported cases of intimidation, administrative and judicial harassment, and violence against journalists covering sensitive issues.
“Targeted prosecutions (strategic prosecutions against public participation”) are sometimes used to prevent journalists and lawyers from doing their jobs. Legislation such as the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and criminal defamation, blasphemy, sedition and counter-terrorism contain vague concepts of hate speech, defamation, terrorism and fake news.
The EU said that without effective safeguards against abuse, the enforcement of these laws has a significant chilling effect on dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders and individuals belonging to ethnic or religious minorities. Internet connectivity was also often limited, especially around the 2024 elections and in Balochistan, as well as before and during protests, according to the report.
Progress
The report also noted progress in some areas, but said progress was “limited” compared to deterioration.
Notable progress included legislation establishing a national commission on minorities, a reduction in the scope of the death penalty, the continuation of the de facto moratorium on executions and the adoption of implementing rules for the anti-torture law, it added.
The death penalty was abolished for railway sabotage, drug offences, harboring hijackers and undressing a woman in public. Other legislative progress includes a Domestic Violence Bill for Islamabad. A first conviction for marital rape was an important milestone.
The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR), along with the Ministries of Law and Justice and Human Rights, has become a key player in Pakistan’s efforts to respect, protect and fulfill human rights obligations. Labor rights saw progress with the 2014 ratification of the ILO Protocol to the Forced Labor Convention, 1930 and expanded monitoring mechanisms, but overall enforcement remains weak.
New action plans to tackle child labor have been adopted, but the number of child labor is only slowly decreasing. In general, most progress is of a legislative and administrative nature and needs to be translated into real improvements on the ground, according to the EU.
Pakistan’s fragile political structure, including the complex federal set-up and inter-provincial imbalances, as well as the role of the military in politics and the economy, posed a significant challenge to the country’s development, as did escalating security concerns stemming from domestic militancy, terrorism, and conflict with neighboring countries.
The monitoring mission noted that Pakistan’s political landscape during the 2023–2025 monitoring cycle was shaped by persistent complaints about the integrity of the 2024 electoral process, crackdowns on opposition party leaders and supporters, and further increased military influence.
