Islamabad Refutes Indian Media Reports Of EU Withdrawing Pakistan's GSP+ Status

NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2021) The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday rejected the Indian media reports, claiming that the European Parliament was set to withdraw Islamabad's GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preferences) trading opportunities over its controversial blasphemy laws, as "malicious propaganda."

The Indian ANI news agency reported on Monday that the EU parliament had condemned cases of abusing blasphemy laws in Pakistan and submitted back in April a joint motion for a resolution, calling for a review of the status quo.

"The news item by an Indian News Agency speculating withdrawal of Pakistan's GSP+ status is fabricated and a continuation of India's malicious propaganda against Pakistan," the ministry tweeted.

Islamabad and Brussels maintain close high-level contacts via various dialogue mechanisms, the ministry said, noting that Pakistan remains committed to fully implementing the 27 international conventions on human and labor rights, environmental protection and good governance, as well as already successfully completed three biennial reviews.

Pakistan, a major beneficiary of the trading opportunities offered by the EU's scheme, has enjoyed generous tariff preferences, mostly zero duties on two-thirds of all product categories, since early 2014. In order to further benefit from trade preferences, Islamabad is to keep the ratification of and effectively implement the 27 core international conventions.