PHOTO: facebook.com/jeannette.seppen.7
Pakistan may jeopardise its Generalised System of Preferences-Plus (GSP-Plus) status if it does not restore the moratorium on the death penalty, a Dutch diplomat said on Saturday.
The European Union granted Pakistan GSP-Plus status on textile exports in 2013, allowing duty-free access to Pakistani products in European markets.
“Pakistan may face problems in the GSP scheme because of the death penalty, but we hope that a moratorium on death penalty will be restored,” Dutch Ambassador Jeannette Seppen said.
Pakistan has already ratified all United Nations conventions relating to the GSP-Plus status, besides improving human and labour rights, environmental protection, climate change and good governance.
She told media persons that international experience had clearly demonstrated that the death penalty did not work. She said that every human being had a right to justice.
Pointing out that the trade volume between Pakistan and the Netherlands currently stands at $1 billion, she said: “We want Pakistan to maintain the quality of textile products high and be competitive to get a fair market share.”
She said that her country would continue to work with Pakistan for improving the quantum of trade and investment, especially in the dairy sector.
She said that a Dutch company, Friesland Campina, had made major investment in the dairy sector and expressed the hope that more Dutch companies would follow suit.
She said that companies such as Shell, Unilever and Philips were already working in Pakistan and her country would encourage more Dutch companies to invest in Pakistan.
According to her, scholarships would be offered to Pakistani students in agricultural universities in the Netherlands. “We will work with farmers to increase productivity,” she said.
“Our companies also have (considerable) experience in the maritime sector, ports and shipping, energy infrastructure and especially renewable energy,” she said.
She recalled that a Dutch company had developed a masterplan for expanding the port of Karachi, saying that Amsterdam was interested in investing in the Gwadar port.
She said that the Dutch government was willing to join China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding that Dutch companies would like to avail emerging opportunities after the completion of CPEC.
“We will be happy to see more Dutch companies joining the CPEC project,” she said.
Expressing concern over human rights violations everywhere, including Indian-occupied Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab, the Dutch envoy said that her country believed in the freedom of expression and her government was concerned about the disappearance of digital rights activists and bloggers in Pakistan.
She expressed hope that Islamabad would ensure freedom of expression.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2017.
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