Shah Mahmood Qureshi Warns Government to Resolve EU Concerns to Safeguard GSP+ Status

LAHORE: Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called upon the Pakistani government to urgently address the gaps in the implementation of 27 international conventions to protect the country’s GSP+ status. He warned that the facility remains in jeopardy unless tangible progress is demonstrated.

In a letter released by his counsel, Rana Mudassar Umer, on Sunday, Qureshi emphasized that as the primary beneficiary of the scheme, Pakistan must immediately rectify internal shortcomings to maintain its trade preferences with the European Union.

Writing from Kot Lakhpat jail, Qureshi noted that the EU remains one of Pakistan’s most critical trading partners. He highlighted that of the 8.7 billion euros in exports to EU countries in 2025, approximately seven billion euros were facilitated specifically through the GSP+ scheme.

The former foreign minister referenced a Monitoring Mission visit in November 2025, which identified significant implementation gaps regarding 27 international conventions signed by Pakistan. He noted that EU High Representative Kaja Kallas reiterated these concerns during a meeting with Pakistan’s foreign minister on June 1, 2026, urging the government to show measurable progress in governance reforms, labor rights, and human rights before the current facility expires in 2027.

Qureshi warned that securing the next cycle of the facility will require adherence to even stricter requirements under new EU-GSP regulations.

“The government must give immediate attention to Ms. Kallas’ concerns; having served as foreign minister, I am well aware of the immense effort required to secure this facility,” Qureshi stated.

He recalled the diplomatic efforts involved in obtaining the status, mentioning that Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani and prominent textile exporters accompanied him to Brussels, where he engaged then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to assist in lobbying efforts. He also credited former Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar for his subsequent role in engaging European parliamentarians to finalize the arrangement.

Qureshi concluded that with national exports currently stagnating, the withdrawal of the GSP+ facility would be devastating for the country’s export earnings.

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