Pakistan's 27th amendment a wake-up call for EU

New Delhi: Pakistan's 27th amendment of the constitution marks a major structural shift by institutionalising military governance over the rule of democracy, undermining goals of the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status offered to Islamabad. The amendment effectively handovers Pakistan's executive and judicial structures to its military.

The GSP+ programme is granted conditionally on the respect for human rights, labour rights, environmental protections and democratic governance. However, the amendment is a move towards militarisation and dilution of fundamental democratic principles which contravene GSP+ requirements.

The GSP+ status provides Pakistan preferential duty-free access to the European market for most of its exports in exchange for upholding 27 international conventions on human rights, labour, environment and good governance.


Pakistan watchers say EU should reassess Pakistan's GSP+ trade status as the constitutional amendment will further embolden the military and its strategy of controlling internal dissent. It may be recalled that Pakistan's military establishment turned a deaf ear to multiple EU requests and suggestions against holding trials of civilians, arrested on charges of arson after the May protests, in military courts.

The Pakistani military went ahead with the trials, convicting 85 civilians so far, making a mockery of EU requests, said one of the experts cited above. Enforced disappearances, sometimes by state-backed militias and in certain instances by the state agencies themselves, have left scars on vulnerable communities in Pakistan. This practice, which began during Pervez Musharraf's dictatorship, continues with the involvement of the state apparatus.

Pakistan's exports to Europe have increased to $5.5 billion in 2024 from $2.9 billion in 2014. During this period, Pakistan's military spending jumped to $12.7 billion from $7.6 billion.