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| 23 April 2004 | Friday | 02 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
EU approves trade pact with Pakistan
BRUSSELS, April 22: The European Parliament on Thursday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new trade and cooperation agreement with Pakistan, giving a vital boost to Islamabad's relations with the European Union.
The vote ends almost three years of uncertainty in Islamabad's relations with an increasingly influential and rapidly-expanding EU which will include 25-member states as of May 1.
Parliamentary approval of the pact is a significant diplomatic victory for Islamabad, which has been struggling for years to upgrade its image in Europe in the face of persistent allegations of human rights abuses and poor democratic credentials.
Deputies, who voted for the pact, highlighted Pakistan's role in the global coalition against terrorism and its role as a modern Muslim nation eager to improve contacts between Islam and the West.
Improving relations with India and arguments that the EU could not apply a policy of "double standards" by penalizing Pakistan but continuing to deal with China, Russia and Israel also helped to swing parliamentary opinion in favour of the pact.
However, members of the European Parliament on Thursday recognized Pakistan's human rights failings in a separate resolution which denounced the continuing strong influence of the military in politics, the treatment of women, persistence of child labour and "consistent problems related to the freedom of expression".
The resolution, tabled by Euro MP John Cushnahan, who lobbied hard against ratification of the pact, also condemned the detention of ARD leader Javed Hashmi and voiced serious concerns at Pakistan's role in the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Parliamentarians instructed the European Commission to present a report on human rights and democracy in Pakistan one year after the implementation of the agreement, adding that "necessary steps" would have to be considered if there was no improvement in both areas.
But as Euro MP Richard Howitt, also British Labour party spokesperson in the European Parliament for Foreign Affairs, said backing for the EU-Pakistan agreement represented recognition of an improved human rights record in Pakistan.
"It represents a just and proper recognition of the steps towards restoring democracy in the country, acknowledges the crucial role being played by Pakistan in the war against terror and in establishing the potentially historic talks with India," Mr Howitt said.
"Although we cannot and should not deny remaining concerns about human rights in the country, ratification of the formal agreement with the EU will create a positive framework for us to work together with the Pakistani government for further steps forward, he said, adding: "The next step should be restoration of Pakistan's full membership of the Commonwealth."
Pakistani diplomats in Brussels voiced satisfaction at the Parliament's move, saying the EU assembly had shown "general appreciation" of Pakistan's policies and its role in regional affairs. "It will now enable the two sides to develop their relations in an institutional framework," said Tariq Fatemi, Pakistan's envoy to the EU.
The EU-Pakistan agreement has had a chequered history. Negotiations for the pact began in 1996 and ended in 1998. The accord was initialled in April 1998 but signed in October 2001 following repeated postponements due to Pakistan's nuclear testing and military take over in 1999.
For the last three years, the Parliament put off a decision on approval of the pact because of doubts over Pakistan's respect for human rights and democratic principles.
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