Islamabad: A European Parliamentary delegation, led by Member of the European Parliament Ms. Marry Khan, met with Federal Minister for Human Rights Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar to discuss a range of critical issues, including Pakistan-European Union relations, human rights, and legal matters. The discussions also touched on the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), geopolitical issues, and other topics of mutual interest.
According to Press Information Department, the meeting provided an opportunity for Senator Tarar to brief the delegation on Pakistan’s constitutional and legal system, as well as its framework for human rights. He emphasized the importance of understanding Pakistan’s domestic and legal matters within their constitutional, legal, social, and regional context.
Senator Tarar highlighted Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and extremism over the past several decades, noting that these sacrifices should be considered when assessing human rights and security-related issues in the country. He outlined that Pakistan’s legal system operates according to constitutional requirements, domestic laws, and local realities, providing protections for the rights of religious minorities.
In addition, the Federal Minister discussed Pakistan’s cyber laws, which encompass freedom of expression, access to information, cyber offenses, and financial fraud. He noted that Pakistan had conducted a comparative review of its cyber laws with those of Europe, the Far East, and North America and offered to share the findings with the European delegation.
The European Parliamentary delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s geostrategic significance and the challenges it faces in the region. They emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and Europe in view of shared interests and common challenges. The members stressed the importance of understanding Pakistan’s human rights issues within their cultural, historical, and geographical context.
The delegation called for meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and the European Union on human rights, GSP+, and other matters, underscoring the importance of effectively presenting Pakistan’s perspective before the European Parliament. They proposed holding a conference at the European Parliament to promote a better understanding of Pakistan’s viewpoint.
Both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening mutual understanding, parliamentary engagement, and bilateral relations between Pakistan and Europe.