EU asks Pakistan to focus on human rights challenges
Member of European Parliaments urge govt to prevent misuse of blasphemy laws by applying safeguards against false accusations
ISLAMABAD: The European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, who just wrapped up his visit to Islamabad has brought up that there are still three areas where the government needs to focus upon. He, notwithstanding, praised Pakistan for making some forward strides while making new laws.
According to a statement, the visit was the final round of the European Union (EU) monitoring of Pakistan’s preferential trade access to the EU market under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences-Plus (GSP+) for 2014-2033 and its application to the next GSP system.
“In these discussions, they talked about the criminal justice system, torture and the death penalty, economic and social rights, prevention of domestic violence, and the freedoms of religion and belief and the freedom of expression both online and offline,” the statement said.
Moreover, in the area of education, Gilmore said that a large number of children are out-of-school and are being placed in a cycle of disadvantage while society misses the untapped potential of skilled and engaged citizens.
According to data issued by the Center for Research & Security Studies (CRSS), from the independence of Pakistan to 2021, over 1306 individuals have been accused of blasphemy and about 89 have been killed for the alleged charges.
Most important for policymakers in Islamabad, however, Gilmore pointed to the criteria for compliance with Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+] conventions that span across human rights, labour rights, environment and good governance.
EU asks Pakistan to focus on human rights challenges
During the visit, Gilmore held a wide-ranging meeting with Pakistan government officials, civil society representatives, human rights activists, religious minority representatives, and media workers in Islamabad and Lahore.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union (EU) and Pakistan.
