ISLAMABAD: The European Union said on Thursday Pakistan had regressed in several areas of human rights despite a series of legal reforms, raising concerns over enforced disappearances, press freedom and judicial independence in an assessment that will help shape the country’s future access to preferential EU trade benefits.
The European Commission’s latest assessment reviews Pakistan’s compliance with 27 international conventions underpinning the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which grants developing countries preferential access to the European market in return for progress on human rights, environmental protection and good governance.
Pakistan has been one of the largest beneficiaries of the scheme since joining it in 2014, exporting 7.5 billion euros ($8.7 billion) worth of goods to the European Union in 2024 and benefiting from an estimated 732 million euros in tariff exemptions.
The report comes ahead of revised GSP+ rules due to take effect from 2027, when Pakistan’s continued eligibility will again come under scrutiny.
“During the 2023-2025 monitoring period, Pakistan has been facing compliance issues with its GSP+ obligations,” the report said. “It has regressed in a number of areas while positive change was limited.”
The Commission nevertheless credited Pakistan with several legislative reforms, including the Domestic Violence Bill for Islamabad Capital Territory, implementation rules under the Anti-Torture Act, legislation establishing a National Commission for Minorities and the country’s first conviction for marital rape.
It also cited Pakistan’s National Strategy on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, ratification of an International Labor Organization protocol on forced labor and reforms narrowing the scope of the death penalty as positive developments.
However, it said those reforms had yet to translate into broader improvements on the ground.
“Significant concerns remained, generally impacting the rule of law and civil society space,” the report added. “Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings increased, without accountability for perpetrators.”
The findings come as rights groups have continued to accuse Pakistan’s security agencies of forcibly disappearing political activists, ethnic Baloch campaigners and other critics, allegations the government has repeatedly denied.
The Commission’s concerns echo criticism from journalists’ organizations over amendments to Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which critics say have expanded the state’s powers to regulate online speech. The government says the changes are aimed at tackling misinformation, online harms and threats to national security.
“Pakistan’s media freedom deteriorated further,” it continued, citing harassment against journalists, as well as the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation.
The report also voiced concern over recent constitutional reforms and their broader institutional implications.
“Latest constitutional amendments have... raised concerns about the impact of such reforms on the independence of the judiciary, accountability of the military, and respect for the rule of law,” it said.
The Commission urged Pakistan to strengthen protections for migrants and refugees following the country’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, under which more than two million Afghan nationals have been repatriated to Afghanistan since late 2023.
The deportation drive has drawn criticism from the United Nations and rights organizations, though Islamabad says it is necessary to address security and illegal migration.
Looking ahead to the revised GSP+ framework, the Commission urged Pakistan to reverse negative trends on enforced disappearances and freedom of expression, combat violence against women and children, improve protections for migrants and minorities and strengthen anti-corruption institutions.
“It is vital to ensure accountability for human rights violations to counter the prevailing sense of impunity,” it said.
