By: Dr. Emanuel Adil Ghouri
International organizations, including the United Nations and the European Union, continue to express serious concerns about the state of human rights in Pakistan, particularly the treatment of religious minorities. Over the past six months, multiple EU delegations have held meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh to convey their reservations. The United Nations Committee on International Human Rights has also voiced dissatisfaction with the performance of Pakistan’s National Human Rights Commission.
Pakistan’s record on minority rights has long remained a critical issue. In recent years, the EU has linked its concerns to broader global frameworks, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list in June 2018 for the third time, following earlier listings between 2012 and 2015. Although the grey list primarily deals with financial compliance, human rights and minority protections have increasingly emerged as a related area of scrutiny, especially in the context of Pakistan’s eligibility for the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).
Reports from EU monitoring missions have repeatedly highlighted issues such as the misuse of blasphemy laws, forced conversions, enforced disappearances, and incidents of torture. While Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees equal rights to minorities, EU officials note a widening gap between legal protections and ground realities.
Pakistan was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2022 after pledging improvements in human rights protections for minorities, women, and children. Economically, the country has significantly benefited from the GSP+ scheme. Since securing the facility, Pakistan’s exports to Europe nearly doubled—from €4.5 billion to €9 billion—generating approximately €3.6 billion in cumulative benefits. According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan on November 17, 2025, export earnings from the EU rose to $3.17 billion during July–October, up from $3 billion in the same period last year.
Despite these commercial gains, EU representatives have raised questions about Pakistan’s progress on its commitments. Former EU Ambassador Rena Cionca, during a visit in August, expressed concern over what she described as a deteriorating human rights situation.
She urged Pakistan to demonstrate “credible and tangible progress” on human rights and labour reforms, emphasizing that the EU’s new trade preferences scheme will include stricter conditions. European lawmakers and civil society groups have similarly advocated linking trade incentives more firmly to human rights standards.
Pakistan’s GSP+ status, extended in October 2023 until 2027, will undergo a fresh evaluation under the new framework set to take effect that year. In a recent interview with Dawn News, EU Ambassador Raymond Krobulis said Pakistan must make “strong progress” on its international commitments to remain eligible. He highlighted continuing concerns over the death penalty, blasphemy laws, enforced disappearances, minority rights, women’s rights, child labour, and forced labour.
A European monitoring mission is scheduled to visit Pakistan by November 28, 2025. Its confidential findings will inform the 2026 GSP+ assessment report, which will play a decisive role in determining whether Pakistan retains the trade facility beyond 2027. The mission will gather information not only from government departments but also from civil society organizations, human rights defenders, activists, and private-sector representatives.
As the monitoring process approaches, questions remain about whether Pakistan’s minority leadership and political representatives will fully communicate the community’s concerns. Key issues—such as alleged misuse of blasphemy laws, forced marriages and religious conversions of minority girls, and political underrepresentation—are expected to be central to discussions with the EU delegation.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy or official position of The White Post.