Pakistan’s access to the EU’s GSP Plus trade scheme is facing renewed pressure after the European Commission’s latest monitoring report raised grave concerns about human rights violations in Balochistan.
The assessment documents:
- Rising cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Alleged extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions
- Preventive detention laws that risk misuse against activists, journalists, students, and families of missing persons
- A Commission of Inquiry that has closed over 9,000 cases without establishing accountability
- A shrinking space for civil society and severe restrictions on freedom of expression
- Continued discrimination against ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities, including Ahmadis
- Persistent impunity for human rights violations
The report warns that recent legal amendments “risk blurring the line between legitimate law enforcement and enforced disappearances.”
Amid these concerns, a Baloch National Movement (BNM) delegation visited the European Parliament, meeting MEPs including Bert‑Jan Ruissen, Paolo Borchia, Matej Tonin, and Özlem Demirel.
They presented a dossier detailing:
- Enforced disappearances
- Extrajudicial killings
- Arbitrary arrests
- Collective punishment
- Restrictions on political and civil freedoms
BNM urged the EU to conduct a full review of Pakistan’s GSP+ compliance and reconsider trade preferences if violations continue.
The delegation also highlighted the cases of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji, both sentenced to life imprisonment, emblematic of the broader crackdown on Baloch political activism.
This video explores the EU’s findings, the situation in Balochistan, and the growing international pressure on Pakistan to meet its human rights obligations.
🎥 Production Credits: Umair Baloch
