EU denies communication with PTI over Pakistan’s GSP+ status

ISLAMABAD – The European Union’s mission in Islamabad clarified that it had not received any “official communication” from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party regarding the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) special trade scheme.

This statement comes following accusations made by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar in a press conference on Wednesday, alleging that the PTI had approached the EU and initiated online petitions urging European authorities to revoke Pakistan’s GSP+ status.

The GSP+ status is a special trade arrangement extended to developing economies, including Pakistan, in exchange for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection, and governance.

Although the current GSP framework expired in December 2023, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in October to extend the scheme for another four years for developing countries.

Samar Saeed Akhtar, EU Press and Information Officer in Islamabad, stated, “We have not received any official communication from PTI regarding GSP+.”

The PTI also denied sending any letter to the EU regarding Pakistan’s GSP+ status, refuting the claims made by the information minister.

PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan clarified, “During a recent visit, both EU and Commonwealth delegations met with various political parties, including PTI, and no further engagement with the EU occurred beyond this.”

In a separate development, last month, the PTI wrote a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), urging for an audit of the disputed February 8 elections before engaging in further bailout talks with Islamabad. This action was criticized by Khan’s opponents as an assault on Pakistan’s efforts to achieve economic stability.