Resolution on Pakistan's GSP status in the European Parliament: How can Pakistan get out of the current situation

 

Resolution on Pakistan's GSP status in the European Parliament: How can Pakistan get out of the current situation

The Federal Government of Pakistan has decided to send high-level delegations to European countries soon to address the concerns of European countries over the points included in the European Parliament's resolution to review Pakistan's trade status.

 

A resolution passed by an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament called on the European Union to review trade concessions granted to Pakistan in 2014 under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus.

 

A meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on Monday considered a resolution to review the GSP Plus status granted to Pakistan by the European Union.

 

The European Union (EU) has called for a boycott of the French ambassador to the National Assembly following a violent protest by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Lubaik Pakistan (TLP) against the publication of sketches of the Prophet of Islam. An unanimous resolution has been passed calling on Pakistan to reconsider its GSP + status granted by the European Union.

A resolution tabled by the European Parliament calls on the Pakistani government to amend blasphemy laws.

 

It may be recalled that under the GSP scheme, import duty on products entering the EU markets of developing countries is removed.

 

If a country is given this status, it has to implement 27 international treaties, including human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and governance.

 

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According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, "the meeting reiterated that there will be no compromise on the issue of prophethood."

 

The meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, was attended by Home Minister, Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Trade Abdul Razzaq Dawood and Foreign Secretary.

 

Analysts say the government will have to take urgent steps to maintain GSP status, otherwise Pakistan could face difficulties in the future.

 

Experts believe that Pakistan should lobby in the European Union and explain its position.

 

Pakistan needs commercial diplomacy

Former Commerce Secretary Tasneem Ahmad Noorani says "Pakistan needs commercial diplomacy" to get out of this situation.

 

Speaking to the BBC, he said Pakistani officials would have to clarify the situation by meeting with the leadership of every country in the European Union.

 

He said that apart from the high ranking officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ambassadors posted in the World Trade Organization would also have to play their role in this regard.

 

Tasneem Noorani said that there was a need to go to these countries and lobby and convince the leadership of these countries that there was no intensification of sentiments against European countries in Pakistan but the incidents of extremism in the country were due to the efforts of the government. I have decreased.

 

"The Jewish lobby has an influence in European countries, so the issue of blasphemy by Prime Minister Imran Khan, as well as the issue of the Holocaust, has angered the European leadership," he said. Has proposed a review of Pakistan's GSP status.

 

Khurram Hussain, a journalist who monitors economic affairs, says that if a resolution is passed to abolish the Generalized Scheme of Preference (GSP) plus status given to Pakistan, then Pakistan has EU countries and In particular, "France will have no choice but to pray."

 

Khurram Hussain said that the resolution that has just been passed calls for a review of the GSP Plus status given to Pakistan, which means that it needs to be reconsidered. However, no decision has been taken yet on the withdrawal of GSP status.

 

He said that the economic situation of the country is in front of everyone and if this resolution is also passed then "the challenges facing the country will increase further".

 

Speaking to the BBC, Khurram Hussain said that he had embraced the Prime Minister's statement against the publication of sketches of the Prophet of Islam, in which he had said that he would bring all Islamic countries together. Will boycott trade with those who allegedly insult the Prophet of Islam

"EU countries have found it difficult to combine trade and religion," he said.

It should be noted that according to the EU's own statistics, trade between Pakistan and EU countries has increased by 64% since Pakistan was granted GSP Plus status in 2014.

 

According to Pakistan's Economic Survey 2019-20, the European Union is Pakistan's largest export market.

 

The survey said that under GSP Plus, Pakistani products have access to 27 EU countries without any duty.

 

The largest quantity of goods sold to the EU is textile products. Textile products account for 76% of EU exports from Pakistan.

 

Khurram Hussain said that France had played an important role in giving GSP status to Pakistan. He says that after getting GSP status, Pakistan is committed to take all possible steps to protect human rights in the country.

 

The resolution, passed in the European Parliament, also referred to the recent protests by the banned Tehreek-e-Libya Pakistan (TLP) against the French government in Pakistan, as well as the expulsion of the French ambassador to Pakistan's National Assembly. The resolution related to

 

The resolution, citing the banned religious and political organization TLP, said the government should take effective measures to stop the use of violence by the party.

 

It may be recalled that the party leadership had announced to end the protest after the National Assembly of Pakistan decided to form a special committee to discuss the deportation of the French ambassador at the request of the banned TLP.

 

On the other hand, a committee set up by the party to take action against the government's move to outlaw Tehreek-e-Lubaik Pakistan met at the Interior Ministry, in addition to the two joint secretaries posted at the Interior Ministry An officer also attended.

 

Following the petition, lawyer Ehsan Ali Arif said that he had filed the petition under Section Double One Double C of the Anti-Terrorism Act. He said that under this law, the government is bound to decide on the petition within 90 days.

 

He said that only those who have heard the petition will have arguments and after hearing it, the government may decide to uphold or change the decision to annul the Tehreek-e-Libek.