ISLAMABAD: As a special envoy from Brussels concluded a fact-finding trip to Pakistan on Friday, there was a sense among the diplomatic community that the visit could have gone better for Pakistan if top officials had engaged with the mission as planned.

Ambassador Frans van Daele, special envoy of the European Union for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief, met a number of key officials during his week-long trip.

The mandate of the special envoy involves raising awareness and engaging with state and non-state actors, civil society, churches, faith-based and religious organisations, as well as non-confessional organisations in order to prevent and address violations of the freedom of religion and belief.

But while Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch found time for the diplomat, other key officials are said to have skipped meetings with the EU diplomat.

Insiders say officials ‘skipped’ meetings with special envoy on freedom of religion, whose findings can affect Pakistan’s GSP+ status

Although there was no official word from either the government or the EU delegation, insiders said such as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif did not meet with the EU delegation.

“The meetings that did not happen… confirmed the impression that certain voices — which are some of the key voices on these issues — do not seem ready to engage in the matter,” a well-placed diplomatic source told Dawn.

The week-long visit provided the EU with the opportunity to hear the full range of views on [freedom of religion or belief] before next year’s monitoring mission, which is exactly the point of a fact-finding trip like this, said the source, who was privy to developments.

It should be noted that the status of religious freedoms in the country is one of the benchmarks for retaining the duty-free access to European markets through the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) regime.

Pakistan’s status is up for review in 2027 and another extension for much-needed duty-free exports to Europe will greatly depend on how the country can demonstrate a commitment to upholding all global human rights obligations.

Ambassador Daele said that the next GSP+ monitoring mission to Pakistan is expected in early 2025.

According to an official readout, the ambassador has encouraged Pakistani authorities to continue to implement relevant international conventions to facilitate the country’s reapplication for the GSP Plus status once new regulation on GSP is in force.

In his interactions with interlocutors, Ambassador van Daele underlined the EU’s continued support for and interest in enhanced cooperation with Pakistan.

During the visit, the ambassador met with a host of federal and provincial officials, parliamentarians, religious leaders, non-government and civil society organisations, human rights defenders and local communities to engage and exchange on the state of freedom of religion and belief in Pakistan and to foster the respect for diversity of religions and beliefs.

In Lahore, the special envoy held meetings with Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora and Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024