Geneva [Switzerland], March 28 (ANI): At a side event during the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Dr Sumran Razak Sabreena of the Pakistan World Alliance urged the European Union to reconsider Pakistan’s preferential trade status under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), citing serious human rights concerns.
Sabreena said Pakistan has failed to meet the human rights obligations tied to GSP+, which grants tariff-free access to European markets for certain products, and called on the European Parliament to press for suspension of Pakistan’s GSP+ until meaningful reforms are implemented.
She demanded the release of the European Union’s report on Pakistan’s February 2024 general elections, noting that concerns over electoral integrity arose after a leaked Commonwealth observer report allegedly revealed rigging. According to Sabreena, the Commonwealth only began reviewing Pakistan’s compliance with democratic and human rights standards after that leak.
Sabreena described a deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Pakistan, citing restrictions on speech, movement, and assembly. She alleged that former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been held in solitary confinement for more than two years without adequate medical care and that his health has severely worsened, including significant vision loss in one eye.
Sharing a personal account, Sabreena said her father, a human rights defender and expert on enforced disappearances recognized by Amnesty International, was abducted in November 2019 and remained missing for over a year before authorities acknowledged custody. She alleged he was tortured, denied medical treatment, subjected to a secret military trial, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. She added that he continues to suffer multiple health problems in detention and is often denied medication, hospital visits, and communication with family, missing birthdays, funerals, and graduations.
Sabreena also urged the EU to consider migration flows from Pakistan to Europe via Turkey when reviewing GSP+ status. She alleged Pakistan has failed to protect minority rights and has made no progress on contentious blasphemy laws, calling for stronger international pressure.
Clarifying that the intent is not punitive, Sabreena said the goal is systemic transformation. She urged the European Union to use GSP+ leverage to press for reforms that ensure human rights are upheld and political freedoms restored. (ANI)
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