ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s commerce chief said the country would have to send a fresh application to the European Union for the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status as the EU Ambassador to Islamabad said the South Asian nation would have to “redouble” its efforts to meet international rights conventions in order to continue to get trade concessions beyond 2023.
This April, the European Parliament moved a resolution against Pakistan, seeking an immediate review of its eligibility for GSP+ status over what it called violence and discrimination against religious minorities and other vulnerable groups.
The development took place after the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) religious party resorted to violent protests, demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador to Islamabad over anti-Islam cartoons published in France.
The GSP+ is a special trade arrangement offered to developing economies by European nations in return for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection and governance. Institutionalized in 1971, the framework removes or reduces import duties on products exported to Europe from low-income countries.
Pakistan is part of a current GSP+ scheme set to end in December 2023.
Speaking to Arab News, the prime minister’s adviser on trade and commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said Pakistan would have to file a fresh application for the new scheme like other beneficiary countries of the GSP scheme.
“Pakistani products … have duty free access in all 27 member states of the European Union since January 1, 2014, until December 31, 2023,” Dawood said, adding that the EU periodically reviewed the commitment of all beneficiary nations with GSP+ status to the signed international conventions.
Dawood said all nations, including Pakistan, would be required to ratify and implement five new international conventions, in addition to the previous 27 international covenants, to benefit from a new program to be adopted by the EU from 2024 to 2036.
The EU office in Islamabad said in a statement Pakistan was the largest beneficiary of the current GSP+ program but the European Commission was continuously monitoring progress made by beneficiary nations like Pakistan in implementing international conventions.
“In the last monitoring reports, some progress has been positively highlighted, while concerns have been raised regarding child labor, torture, media freedom and access to justice, among others,” the statement maintained.
European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said in a statement last month that Pakistan’s exports to Europe had increased by 60 percent since it was granted GSP+ status in 2014 but “in order to maintain the trade preferences under GSP Plus beyond 2023, Pakistan will have to redouble its efforts to turn the international conventions it signed into reality on the ground.”
“To make the case to be eligible under the new GSP Plus system, Pakistan, like any other potential beneficiary countries,” Kaminara said, “will have to demonstrate tangible progress to convince EU parliamentarians and member state governments.”
Pakistan to send fresh application for GSP+ as EU calls to ‘redouble’ efforts on rights
https://arab.news/2zy95
Pakistan to send fresh application for GSP+ as EU calls to ‘redouble’ efforts on rights
- Pakistan will have to demonstrate tangible progress on meeting international conventions, EU ambassador says
- Under the preferential trade framework, Pakistani products have duty free access to all 27 European Union member states
T20 Blind Cricket World Cup kicks off in Pakistan today sans India’s participation
- Pakistan’s blind cricket team to take on South Africa in Lahore today
- India failed to secure clearance from government to travel to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The fourth T20 Blind Cricket World Cup will kick off today, Saturday, with Pakistan set to face South Africa in the eastern city of Lahore, state-run media reported days after India pulled out of the tournament.
The T20 Blind Cricket World Cup is scheduled to be held in Pakistan from Nov. 23-Dec. 3. As per Radio Pakistan, the tournament will feature blind cricket teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal and Afghanistan.
“In the Fourth edition of the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup, the opening match will be played between South Africa and Pakistan in Lahore today,” Radio Pakistan said.
India was also scheduled to take part in the tournament but the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced on Wednesday that its blind cricket team was withdrawing from the event, citing its failure to secure clearance from New Delhi to travel to Pakistan.
Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have restricted cultural exchanges and bilateral sports events between the two nations.
Both countries have fought three wars, two of them over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
India withdrew its blind cricket team from the tournament with a little over three months left before the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is also set to be held in Pakistan in February/March next year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) this month that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
The ICC informed the PCB of the BCCI’s decision, following which Pakistan demanded an explanation from the cricket governing body. Pakistan has repeatedly insisted it will not agree for the tournament to be shifted to another country and has insisted India travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all of India’s games were played in Sri Lanka under a “hybrid” hosting model for the tournament. Several months later, Pakistan traveled to India for the 50-over World Cup.
Pakistani authorities block roads and motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest
- Jailed Imran Khan’s party has called for a “long march” to Islamabad on Nov. 24 to demand his release
- Motorway police say as per intelligence reports, protesters will be armed with sticks and slingshots
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has said that motorways across the country have been sealed from various areas to protect people’s lives ahead of a planned protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to Islamabad on Sunday.
Pakistani authorities sealed off major arteries and roads with shipping containers leading to Islamabad from the surrounding Rawalpindi city and other areas on Friday ahead of the PTI’s “long march” scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24.
In a notification released on Friday, the NHMP cited intelligence reports that protesters were planning to disrupt law and order in the capital, adding that they would be armed with sticks and slingshots.
“To prevent any untoward situation and to protect the lives of the people, motorways have been closed from various locations,” the NHMP said.
“The lives and property of the people will be guaranteed at all costs. Those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with strictly.”
Hours earlier, the NHMP had shared a notification on its social media platform X in which it had said that certain sections of the motorway were closed due to maintenance work. These sections were: M-1 Islamabad to Peshawar, M-2 Islamabad to Lahore, M-3 Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, M-4 Pindi Bhattian to Multan, M-14 Hakla to Yarik and M-11 Lahore to Sialkot.
As per local media reports, the Metro Bus service between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be suspended on Nov. 24 while a ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab from Nov. 23-25 ahead of the PTI’s march.
The PTI’s protest is primarily aimed at pressurizing the government to end Khan’s imprisonment which has lasted for over a year on what his party contends are politically motivated charges. The party also aims to raise its voice against alleged rigging in the Feb. 8 general elections while calling for measures to ensure judicial independence, which it says has been undermined by the 26th constitutional amendment. The government denies this.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s interior ministry had authorized the deployment of paramilitary Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps troops in Islamabad to maintain law and order.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
Families of Pakistanis trapped in forced labor in Myanmar urge authorities to secure release
- Thirteen Pakistanis were allegedly lured with job offers and trafficked to Myanmar from Thailand
- Families say captors torture them to lure others into cryptocurrency scams disguised as investments
ISLAMABAD: The families of 13 Pakistani nationals allegedly taken hostage by job scammers in Myanmar have appealed to authorities this week to secure their release, saying their loved ones are being confined to a compound, subjected to torture and forced to lure customers online for cryptocurrency scams.
The incident is part of a growing trend of Pakistanis falling victim to transnational criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia. In July this year, families of six other Pakistanis reported similar cases, claiming their relatives were held hostage by criminal gangs in Myanmar.
According to the families of the 13 individuals, including two women, they traveled to Thailand in March on valid work visas for a construction company, where they worked for two months. Subsequently, they were relocated to Laos and then Myanmar after their employer claimed to be moving operations.
The victims, who had completed short computer and IT courses, had prior experience in online jobs and were recruited by an agent in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
“They are now being held hostage in Myanmar, subjected to physical torture and sleep deprivation and forced to lure customers from Europe, America and Canada into cryptocurrency scams,” Danish Qamar, a resident of Wah Cantt in Punjab province, whose brother and nephew are among the trapped, told Arab News.
“They are tortured and made to work over 18 hours daily to trap people into fake cryptocurrency investments,” he added. “We have written applications to Pakistan’s foreign office and the Overseas Pakistani Foundation, but there has been no meaningful response.”
The issue of Myanmar’s criminal zones has also raised global concern, with the United States Institute of Peace reporting in November 2022 that these areas have been facilitating human trafficking, slavery and international fraud on a large scale.
Such criminal activities exploit vulnerable individuals, lured by the promise of high-paying jobs abroad, only to be trapped in forced labor and fraudulent operations.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s foreign office acknowledged reports of Pakistani citizens being detained by such networks in Myanmar, saying that its diplomatic mission in the Southeast Asian country was working with local authorities to secure their release. The foreign office also emphasized the need for a coordinated international response to combat human trafficking and transnational organized crime.
Asked about the 13 Pakistanis, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reiterated in a brief response to Arab News, “Our mission is in contact with the relevant authorities.”
However, she did not provide further details on the number of Pakistanis held or the measures being taken for their release.
According to the families, the 13 individuals have been trapped in Myanmar for about 20 days. Efforts to seek help from Pakistani missions in Myanmar and Thailand have proven futile, as officials reportedly cited limited access to the “lawless” border regions where the victims are being held.
“Officials say this is a lawless area, but the scammers have all the facilities like the Internet and electricity to run their operations,” said Maqsood Sadiq, the father of Suleman, 20, one of the hostages.
“We urge the government to act immediately to secure their release,” he added.
Pakistan PM forms committee to resolve tensions with key coalition ally
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar key members of committee
- PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari last week criticized federal government for imposing Internet restrictions, other issues
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week formed a committee to resolve tensions between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition ally of the government, state-run media reported.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly lashed out at the PML-N-led government last week, regretting its decision to block virtual private networks (VPNs) across the country. Authorities say the measures are meant to deter militants and other suspects who use VPNs to conceal their identities and spread “anti-state propaganda” and promote “blasphemous” or other illegal content online.
Speaking to journalists at his party’s media cell, the PPP chairman had also criticized the government for approving a project to construct new canals on the Indus River, saying the decision had been taken without consulting his party.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to resolve issues between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and to foster cooperation on political and other matters,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema are members of the committee.
It also includes Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique, Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, and Bashir Ahmed Memon, it added.
“The Prime Minister has assigned the committee the responsibility of having detailed consultation with the PPP to ensure political collaboration and resolve the issues,” Radio Pakistan said.
It added that the committee would hold talks with members nominated by the PPP to discuss the future course of action between the two parties.
The PPP is a major coalition ally of the coalition government which also voted Sharif into power after the contentious national election in February. While it is not part of the federal government, the PPP has its government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
Sharif’s government has relied on the PPP’s crucial votes in parliament to pass the national budget and key constitutional amendments earlier this year.
Senior political leader shot dead amid escalating militancy in Pakistan’s northwest
- Mashaal Azad, a PPP leader in Lakki Marwat, was ambushed while going for Friday prayers
- Attack occurred the day Pakistan’s army chief was in Peshawar to discuss security situation
PESHAWAR: Amid a string of deadly attacks that have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security officials in Pakistan’s northwest, unidentified gunmen on Friday shot dead a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the volatile Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police said.
The restive district, a hotspot of militant activity, witnessed unprecedented protests in September when police officers, joined by civil society members and tribal elders, staged sit-ins and blocked the Indus Highway.
The demonstrations followed a spate of militant attacks that killed several policemen, prompting demands for enhanced security measures and greater autonomy for the law enforcement agency in counterterrorism operations.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone, the police spokesperson in the district, Shahid Marwat, said the slain PPP leader Mashaal Azad was heading toward Sarai Gambila, a rundown locality on the outskirts of the district’s center, for Friday prayers when he was ambushed by gunmen.
“Mashaal Azad was killed by unidentified bike riders on the Canal Road near Kajoori Hotel within the limits of Sarai Gambila police station,” Marwat said.
The incident occurred on the day Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir was visiting Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, where he vowed action against militants and reiterated the army’s firm resolve to dismantle hostile militant networks.
The killing also follows a gun attack on a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in the Kurram tribal district a day earlier, leaving more than 40 people dead.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, 10 Pakistan army soldiers and two members of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were killed when militants attacked a checkpost in the northwestern Bannu district.
Rabnawaz Marwat, a tribal elder in Lakki Marwat, said the late PPP leader was a long-time and senior party figure who had been a strong voice against militancy in the region.
“Late Azad had served as a member of the provincial council of PPP,” he informed. “He had also served as a student leader of PPP in Lakki Marwat. In addition, he was an active tribal elder who played a leading role in dispute resolution in the region.”
According to the police spokesperson, a report of the incident has been lodged against unidentified persons, and further investigations will be initiated.
“It is mentioned in the report that late Azad had no personal enmity with anyone in the area,” he said. “It seems to be an act of targeted attack by terrorists.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of civil and military leaders to review the country’s security situation, during which it was agreed to take action against those involved in militant violence.
