What happened: The EU Parliament has adopted a resolution calling to review Pakistan’s GSP+ status among other trade links over concerns on how the blasphemy law in the country is unregulated and how these accusations have been used to target minority groups, journalists, as well as the increasing number of online and offline attacks.
Should Europe reward Pakistan’s mob justice targeting Christians and its Prime Minister relativizing the holocaust? My answer is no.#ChristianPersecution #ReligiousFreedom pic.twitter.com/x4Uw1TLjyS
— Charlie Weimers MEP (@weimers) April 29, 2021
The GSP+ status: The GSP+ status is a special incentive scheme for low income and middle income countries that slashes tariffs and gives them preferential treatment over trade agreements.
A resolution passed by the European Union Parliament calling on the European Commission and the European External Action Service to immediately review Pakistan’s eligibility of the GSP+ status in the light of current events.681 votes in favour and 3 against the motion.
— Aisha Saeed (@MsAishaK) April 30, 2021
The Resolution: Member of the European Parliament Charlie Weimers of Sweden authored the resolution over concerns of how Pakistan is abusing the blashpemy law in Pakistan and PM Khan relevatizing the holocaust.
Success! EU Parliament wants to use trade policy to pressure Pakistan: “review Pakistan’s eligibility for GSP+ status in the light of current events.”
Today’s adopted resolution that I co-authored: https://t.co/CpIqg16NIO https://t.co/cybNJMmrPO
— Charlie Weimers MEP (@weimers) April 29, 2021
The resolution calls on the Pakistani government to unequivocally condemn incitement to violence and discrimination against minorities.
He further stated that rather than defending the human rights of Pakistani citizens from false accusers, the PM has equated the holocaust and genocide to criticism of their religion.
Pakistani reaction: The Pakistani Foreign Office said that the European Parliament showed a lack of understanding over the issue. They said that the blasphemy law and religious sensitivity needs to be understood by the European Parliament instead of reviewing trade ties.
It is unfortunate that the co sponsor of the EU's anti Pakistan resolution was a member of a party that the Swedish PM Stefan Lofven referred to as "a neo-fascist single issue party" with "Nazi and racist roots". Q now is whether GSP Plus is getting muddied in Islamophobia?
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) April 30, 2021
Pakistani Human Rights minister asked ‘whether GSP+ status is getting muddled with Islamophobia?’. She further stated that there are issues that need to be resolved but there has been more movement on the Human Rights front than any previous government.
We have issues to resolve but there has been more movement now on our HR Int Convention commitments than in previous govts. The way forward is dialogue & negotiations, which we have been doing, not extreme public positionings. Unfortunate @AKaminara
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) April 30, 2021