EU envoy faces lack of engagement during Pakistan visit

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 15 : As a special envoy from Brussels wrapped up a fact-finding mission in Pakistan on Friday, there was a general feeling among diplomats that the visit might have yielded more favourable results for Pakistan if top officials had engaged with the mission as planned, Dawn reported.
Frans van Daele, the European Union's Ambassador and Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief, met with several high-ranking officials during his week-long visit.
Although Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch were present, other key officials are said to have skipped meetings with the EU diplomat.
A diplomatic source was quoted as saying, "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."
The European Union's visit was intended to collect insights on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan ahead of the monitoring mission next year. The status of religious freedoms in Pakistan is crucial for maintaining duty-free access to European markets under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) programme.
Throughout his visit, the Ambassador engaged with a wide range of federal and provincial officials, parliamentarians, religious leaders, NGOs, civil society organizations, human rights advocates, and local communities. The discussions focused on the state of freedom of religion and belief in Pakistan and aimed to foster respect for religious and belief diversity.
Ambassador Daele said that the next GSP+ monitoring mission to Pakistan is expected in 2025.