PM renews commitment to working with EU on trade initiatives, including GSP+

• EU ambassador meets PM Shehbaz in Islamabad.  
• PM reaffirms commitment to strengthen cooperation with EU. 
• PM highlights GSP+ role in boosting Pakistan-EU trade.
  

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that Pakistan is committed to working closely with the European Union (EU) on mutually beneficial trade enhancement initiatives, especially through the GSP+.

The premier made the remarks while talking to EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis, who called on him at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.

Welcoming the EU ambassador, who recently assumed his responsibilities in Islamabad, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen cooperation with the EU in all areas of mutual interest, particularly trade, investment, development, security, migration and climate change.

The premier emphasised upon the critical role of the GSP+ scheme in enhancing trade between Pakistan and the EU.

The prime minister also expressed satisfaction at the 7th round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue held in Brussels in November last year, where the Pakistan side was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The EU ambassador assures his efforts to strengthen Pakistan-EU relations on all spheres. He expressed his gratitude and deep appreciation to the prime minister for the warm welcome he had received since his arrival in the country.

He also conveyed the good wishes of the EU leadership to the PM and said that the EU would continue to engage closely with Pakistan on enhancing trade, under GSP+ as well as through trade promotion activities such as the first ever EU-Pakistan Business Forum, that would be held in April this year.

EU voices concern over conviction of Mazari, husband  

Separately, the EU's spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Anouar El Anouni has voiced concern over the conviction of rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha, describing the sentences as "against freedom of expression".

Mazari and her husband were each sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison under various sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in a case related to controversial social media posts.

According to the 22-page written verdict, both were handed five years’ imprisonment along with a fine of Rs5 million each under Section 9 of Peca, and a further 10 years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs30 million each under Section 10 of the law.

In a post on X, the EU official said the convictions, linked to social media activity, ran counter to “freedom of expression” and the “independence of lawyers.”

“The conviction of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha over social media activity goes against freedom of expression and independence of lawyers,” he said.

The EU official added that these principles are not only central to democratic systems but are also part of Pakistan’s international human rights commitments.

“These are not only key democratic principles but also part of [Pakistan’s] international human rights commitments,” Anouni pointed out.