EU urged to stop rewarding Pakistan's human rights abuses with trade privileges

Brussels [Belgium] November 22 (ANI): At a demonstration organised by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) outside the European Parliament in Brussels, Jamil Maqsood, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), delivered a speech condemning Pakistan's worsening human rights situation and urging the European Union to enforce stricter accountability measures under the GSP+ scheme.

The protest coincided with a high-level meeting between Pakistan's Foreign Minister and EU representatives, providing a crucial moment to spotlight Pakistan's systematic repression.

In a post shared on Facebook, Maqsood stated strong solidarity with PTM's peaceful resistance against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation of civilians in the Pashtun belt.

He noted that these abuses are symptomatic of deeper structural failings within Pakistan's governance framework, which also extend to Pakistan-administered regions of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB).

Denouncing Pakistan's efforts to integrate the disputed territories through the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment, Maqsood warned that such constitutional manoeuvres violate international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the democratic aspirations of Kashmiris.

He reaffirmed UKPNP's commitment to democratic freedoms, peaceful political struggle, and protection of human dignity across all marginalised communities suffering under militarisation and political coercion.

Highlighting the economic dimension, Maqsood criticised Pakistan's failure to uphold commitments tied to the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). While Pakistan has enjoyed substantial economic advantages since 2014, he said, EU monitoring reports show persistent non-compliance on human rights, labour rights, and governance standards.

He therefore urged the European Union to make Pakistan's continued access to GSP+ strictly conditional on measurable improvements in civil liberties, media freedom, and cessation of enforced disappearances.

Maqsood also called upon the European Parliament to implement its 2007 Resolution on Jammu & Kashmir by dispatching an independent fact-finding mission to all regions of the divided territory. Such an initiative, he stated, would allow EU policymakers to assess the ground realities and ensure that human rights recommendations are effectively implemented.

Concluding his address, Maqsood asserted that genuine EU engagement anchored in democracy and international law could promote accountability, bolster human rights protections, and contribute to lasting peace and stability in South Asia. He was accompanied by Aqeel Ahmed, President of UKPNP Belgium, and Sajid Hussain, Press Secretary of UKPNP Europe Zone. (ANI)

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