The European Parliament has issued one of its strongest warnings yet to Pakistan, linking the country’s human rights record to the future of its preferential trade access to the European Union under the Generalised
Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) programme.
In a resolution adopted this week, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said Pakistan must fulfil its international human rights obligations or risk jeopardising the trade benefits it currently enjoys under the GSP+ framework. The scheme grants developing countries preferential access to the EU market in return for implementing 27 international conventions covering human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and good governance.
The resolution expressed concern over what lawmakers described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan. It called on Islamabad to immediately end enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and the misuse of laws relating to blasphemy, anti-terrorism and cybercrime against political opponents, journalists, minorities and civil society activists.
MEPs specifically highlighted the cases of Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch and human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari, urging Pakistani authorities to end what they described as the crackdown on peaceful activists. The resolution also referred to cases involving Ali Wazir, Hanif Pashteen and Dad Shah, calling for justice and due process.
“The European Parliament calls on Pakistan to uphold its international commitments on human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the resolution states, while stressing that continued implementation of the GSP+ scheme depends on compliance with the conventions underpinning the trade arrangement.
The lawmakers further urged Pakistan to guarantee independent courts and fair trials, expressing concern over what they described as the weaponisation of state institutions and laws against dissenting voices. They also called for an immediate halt to enforced disappearances in Balochistan and the release of individuals detained arbitrarily.
The resolution asks the European Commission and the European External Action Service to place these concerns at the centre of the upcoming EU-Pakistan GSP+ monitoring dialogue. It also urges the Commission to closely assess Pakistan’s implementation of its treaty obligations while reviewing the country’s continued eligibility for preferential market access.
The warning comes as Pakistan remains heavily dependent on the European Union as one of its largest export destinations. Since receiving GSP+ status in 2014, Pakistani exports to the EU have grown significantly, making the scheme economically important for sectors such as textiles and apparel. However, Brussels has repeatedly maintained that the trade arrangement is conditional and that “tangible reforms remain essential” for beneficiary countries to retain the privilege.
While the resolution does not automatically suspend Pakistan’s GSP+ status, it sends a clear political signal that future trade preferences will increasingly be assessed alongside the country’s record on human rights, rule of law and democratic governance.
