Islamabad, 13th September 2024 – Ambassador Frans van Daele, the European Union’s Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the EU, has concluded a week-long official visit to Pakistan, focusing on the state of religious freedom in the country. FoRB remains a key priority for the EU in its ongoing strategic engagement with Pakistan.
During his visit, Ambassador van Daele met with senior Pakistani officials from both the Federal and Provincial Governments, Parliament, religious leaders, and representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society. His discussions aimed to address concerns related to freedom of religion and belief in Pakistan and to promote respect for religious diversity.
Among the high-level meetings, the Special Envoy met with Chairman of the Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Law and Justice, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs, and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain. In these discussions, Ambassador van Daele raised issues related to religious freedom in Pakistan, highlighting concerns noted in the EU's most recent GSP+ monitoring report from November 2023.
With the next GSP+ monitoring mission scheduled for early 2025, the Special Envoy encouraged Pakistani authorities to continue implementing international conventions necessary for Pakistan’s reapplication to the trade scheme, once the new Regulation on GSP is enforced.
Ambassador van Daele also emphasized the EU’s continued interest in strengthening cooperation with Pakistan on these crucial issues.
The Special Envoy’s visit began in Punjab, where he engaged with local communities in Jaranwala and Rabwah. In Lahore, he held talks with Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Punjab’s Minister for Minorities Affairs, and Dr. Usman Anwar, Inspector General of Police Punjab. He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating the visit, during his meeting with Pakistan’s newly appointed Foreign Secretary, Ms. Amna Baloch.
The primary focus of Ambassador van Daele's mandate is to raise awareness of religious freedom issues and to engage with state and non-state actors, civil society, religious organizations, and human rights defenders to address and prevent violations of religious freedom.
His visit comes as Pakistan continues to face international scrutiny regarding its record on religious freedom, with the EU closely monitoring the country’s adherence to international commitments as part of its ongoing engagement under the GSP+ trade scheme.
