ISLAMABAD: European Parliament Member, Sajjad Haider Karim, recently noted the current GSP+ status of Pakistan as well as its impending renewal for another three years to be an excellent opportunity for Pakistani manufacturers and businessmen.
During his short visit to Pakistan, he also asked the Pakistani manufacturers and businessmen to diversify their products and also focus on European markets. As the founder and chairman of European Parliament’s Friends of Pakistan Group, Karim played an active role in the approval of GSP+–a vital concessionary trade status–to Pakistan in the parliament. All his efforts paid off after a period of eight years in December 2013, when the European Parliament voted to approve ‘GSP plus’ for Pakistan.
In his response to a question on the benefits of GSP+, Karim noted that the status presently covered more than seven thousand products. Pakistani businessmen were already working on textile products while they could also benefit from introducing other products as well, he added.
He also apprised the sources regarding this preferential trade package for Pakistan’s exports to EU countries, which came into force in January 2014 and was already boosting trade and economic development. Karim then stressed for a Business to Business (B2B) contact, further adding that the Pakistan’s exporters and businessmen should avail the GSP+ status, which would last for the next ten years. He also showed satisfaction over the ongoing efforts of Pakistani government regarding the improvement in its export share in the European market.
“India could not succeed in Free Trade Agreement because of glaring human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir,” he added. The European Union was said to support a peaceful dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve all their outstanding issues, which include Kashmir.
Karim also termed the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a game-changer for Pakistan and further asserted that EU fully supported this project, hoping its successful completion would benefit business activities between this region and Europe. In his comments on the recent referendum in Britain regarding separation from the European Union, he opined that it would not adversely impact the European Union since Netherlands had already separated itself from the European Union. However, it would cause serious threats to the solidarity and prosperity of United Kingdom, he added.
As a recognition of his contribution, Karim was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Management and Technology, Lahore for his success in securing the GSP+ deal among other services rendered to the British Pakistani community. Previously, he was also awarded the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam, Pakistan’s highest national honour to non-resident Pakistanis, in August 2014, for his services in strengthening Pakistan-UK and Pakistan-EU relations.