JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance ('GSP+') assessment of Pakistan covering the period 2016 - 2017 Accompanying the document Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences during the period 2016 - 2017
Date: 2018-01-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
Subjects: EU market, Pakistan, common commercial policy, environmental protection, generalised preferences, governance, human rights, international convention, sustainable development, tariff preference

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 19.1.2018  SWD(2018) 29 final  JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  The EU Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance ('GSP+') assessment of Pakistan covering the period 2016 - 2017 Accompanying the document Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences during the period 2016 - 2017 {COM(2018) 36 final} - {SWD(2018) 23 final} - {SWD(2018) 24 final} - {SWD(2018) 25 final} - {SWD(2018) 26 final} - {SWD(2018) 27 final} - {SWD(2018) 28 final} - {SWD(2018) 30 final} - {SWD(2018) 31 final} - {SWD(2018) 32 final}  
 
 
Pakistan GSP+ Assessment 

1. Country Overview 

Pakistan  has  a  population  of  more  than  207  million  (2017  census),  is  socially  diverse  and 
constitutionally complex. The application of the Constitution, the federal legislation as well as 
the  jurisdiction  of  Supreme  Court  varies  between  different  geographical  units  that  form  the 
federation.  The  ability  of  provincial  governments  and  authorities  to  respect,  protect  and 
promote human rights is affected by this complexity. For example, the Supreme Court has no 
jurisdiction over the regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the federally 
administered  tribal  areas  (FATA),  all  sui  generis  entities  which  are  not  considered  as 
provinces by the Constitution. 

Pakistan continues to face political, economic and security challenges and has limited public 
financial resources. The country has furthermore faced a substantial energy crisis during the 
reporting period. Economic growth is slowly picking up and is expected to reach around 5% 
in 2017 and 5-6% in 2018. Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and has been 
a victim of several earthquakes and severe floods in the recent past. 

Substantial power was devolved in 2010 to the provinces, which play a key role in protecting 
and  promoting  many  of  the  rights  enshrined  in  the  international  conventions  under  GSP+. 
Devolution to the provinces offers the possibility to better address needs and challenges at the 
grassroot  level. At the same time it poses challenges of resources  and capacities, as well as 
ensuring that all of Pakistan's citizens can equally enjoy the rights they are entitled to. 
Pakistan  conducted  its  6th  national  census  in  2017,  revealing  an  estimated  58%  growth  in 
population  since  the  last  census  in  1996.  It  should  allow  the  Government  to  better  target 
socio-economic policies for the different population groups. It will also have an impact on the 
share  of  each  province  in  the  federal  budget  and  the  allocation  of  seats  in  the  national  and 
provincial assemblies. 

In  2013,  Pakistan  saw  the  first-ever  transfer  of  power  from  one  democratically  elected 
Government to the next, but it remains a fragile democracy. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had 
to step down as the result of a Supreme Court ruling related to corruption charges revealed in 
the 'Panama Papers'. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi took office as Prime Minister in August 2017. 

On the security front, the situation has improved at the surface with the heavy engagement of 
the army in several regions (FATA and Karachi), but remains a problematic as the root causes 
of terrorism have not been tackled. The ongoing national action plan against terrorism led to a 
two-year extension of the jurisdiction over civilians of the military courts in terrorism cases, 
while  the  situation  with  regard  to  the  lifting  of  the  moratorium  on  the  death  penalty  is 
unchanged since 2015. 

The substantial engagement of Pakistan in fighting terrorism has led to a considerable loss of 
lives  and  of  budgetary  resources  that  otherwise  could  have  been  used  for  socio-economic 
development. The fight against terrorism has also overshadowed other critical issues, among 
which  the  protection  and  promotion  of  human  rights.  Legislation  to  protect  citizens  from 
violence  and  ensure  the  security  of  state  institutions  must  not  compromise  the  respect  for 
human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief. 

Pakistan  continues  to  host  a  large  number  of  Afghan  refugees  who  are  increasingly 
encouraged to return to their country of origin by a series of push factors strengthened by the 
Government  in  2016.  Pakistan  also  represents  a  major  country  of  origin  and  transit  of 

1 

 
migrants to the EU. The EU and Pakistan have concluded a Readmission Agreement, in force 
since 2010. 

A  GSP+  monitoring  mission  to  Pakistan,  which  also  visited  Karachi,  took  place  from  30 
October to 4 November 2016. 

2. Compliance with GSP+ Obligations 

2.1.  UN Human Rights Conventions (conventions 1-7) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Pakistan maintains ratification of all conventions. The latest national report on the Convention 
on  the  Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  Discrimination  Against  Women  (CEDAW)  has  been 
overdue since  1 March 2017 During the last  two years, Pakistan has participated in  the UN 
Treaty Body monitoring of CRC, CAT, CESCR and the CPPR. On 16 October 2017, the UN 
General  Assembly  elected  Pakistan  to  serve  on  the  Human  Rights  Council  as  of  1  January 
2018.  
Pakistan  underwent  its  3rd  Universal  Periodic  Review  on  13  November  2017,  where  117 
delegations took the floor raising concerns related to, inter alia, the death penalty, freedom of 
religion  or  belief,  freedom  of  opinion  and  expression  and  issues  of  discrimination  and 
violence against women and minorities. Pakistan received 289 recommendations to which it 
should respond by March 2018. 

Status of implementation of the conventions 

While  constitutional  and  legal  guarantees  for  the  rights  of  Pakistani  citizens  are  relatively 
comprehensive, and although the last two years have seen the adoption of a number of new 
laws,  strategies  and  action  plans,  implementation  remains  an  issue  of  concern.  Often,  for 
reasons  of  lack  of  political  priority,  weak  capacity,  resulting  in  legal  safeguards  not  always 
being translated into tangible improvement on the ground. 

At  the  same  time,  the  obstacles  faced  by  the  Government  and  other  actors  in  addressing 
shortcomings  in  human  rights  must  be  recognised.  The  overarching  objective  of  the 
Government to improve the security situation often diverts attention from other policy areas 
and puts a considerable strain on budgetary resources crowding out the much needed spending 
on  socio-economic  development  and  notably  on  health  and  education.  Meanwhile,  many 
responsibilities  for implementation of the conventions have been  devolved to the provinces, 
where capacity and resources are often insufficient. 

On  the  institutional  side,  the  Government  has  made  efforts  to  promote  human  rights.  The 
National Action Plan on Human Rights, the first of its kind in Pakistan, was approved by the 
Prime  Minister  in  the  first  half  of  2016.  The  plan,  while  somewhat  general,  includes  many 
important priorities and actions. However, due to lack of progress reporting to the public, it is 
unclear how many of these priorities and actions have been implemented so far. According to 
the  Government,  a  National  Task Force  is  working  with  the  provinces  to  develop  strategies 
and  monitor  the  implementation  of  the  action  plan.  The  provinces  are  also  developing  their 
own human rights strategies to reflect their provincial priorities. 

Following  the  granting  of  GSP+,  the  Government  also  established  a  system  of  Treaty 
Implementation  Cells  (TICs)  at  federal  and  provincial  levels,  tasked  with  coordinating  the 
implementation  of  treaty  obligations  between  different  line  ministries  and  departments  and 
between  the  federal  and  provincial  levels.  While  these  TICs  are  still  developing  their 

2 

 
responsibilities  and  capacities,  they  provide  a  useful  forum  for  discussion  and  coordination, 
which did not exist before and which has been highly relevant, not least in the context of the 
devolution of responsibilities to the provinces. 

The National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR), which was constituted in 2015, has in 
the  past  two  years  gradually  played  a  more  active  role  and  issued  a  number  of  important 
reports and observations, including on controversial topics. The Commission has also begun 
to  deal  with  individual  complaints.  However,  the  NCHR's  functional  and  budgetary 
autonomy, as required by the Paris Principles, has not yet fully materialized. The NCHR was 
not  able  to  appear  before  some  UN  Treaty  Body  committees.  The  federal  and  provincial 
Commissions  on  the  Status  of  Women  have  also  played  an  important  role  in  promoting 
human rights in Pakistan. The National Commission for Child Welfare and Development has 
been established. The Government also points to the human rights cells of the Supreme Court 
and the High Courts as avenues of redress for human rights violations. 

Parliament, through the standing committees on human rights of the Senate and the National 
Assembly, has started to play a more active part in holding the Government accountable on 
human  rights.  The  women's  caucuses,  established  at  federal  and  provincial  parliaments,  are 
becoming more active. 

Monitoring  of  human  rights  in  Pakistan  remains  a  challenge  due  to  lack  of  reliable,  nation-
wide  data  related  to  human  rights.  Some  NGOs  collect  figures,  but  this  information  is 
somewhat  sporadic  and  mainly  based  on  media  monitoring.  The  Government  has  indicated 
that  it  intends  to  improve  data  collection  by  establishing  a  Human  Rights  Management 
Information  System,  which  will  be  anchored  in  a  National  Human  Rights  Institute  that  is 
planned to be established by the end of 2017. This institute would have training, research, and 
the  collection  and  dissemination  of  statistics  and  information  as  its  main  functions,  with  a 
particular focus on the provincial level. 

International  Convention  on  the  Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  Racial 
Discrimination (CERD) 

The  Committee  on  the  Elimination  of  Racial  Discrimination  considered  the  initial  report  of 
Pakistan  on  25-26  May  2016.  In  its  Concluding  Observations  the  Committee  welcomed  a 
number of positive aspects, but also expressed serious concerns on a number of matters. Some 
of the most pertinent observations are outlined below. 

the  National  Action  Plan  for  Human  Rights  and 

The  Committee  welcomed 
the 
operationalisation  of  the  National  Commission  on  Human  Rights  as  well  as  a  number  of 
recent laws on relevant topics, including Hindu marriage, domestic violence, acid crimes, and 
prevention of anti-women practices. The Committee also expressed appreciation of the system 
of  quotas  for  minorities  and  women  in  federal  and  provincial  assemblies  as  well  as  for 
minorities,  women  and  persons  with  disabilities  in  public  service.  It  also  welcomed 
ratification by Pakistan in recent years of a number of international instruments, including the 
Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities,  the  Optional  Protocol  to  the  CRC, 
CCPR, CAT and the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.  

However, the Committee expressed concern  that the Pakistani Constitution and laws do not 
provide a definition of racial discrimination in conformity with the Convention, nor is there 
any  specific  legislation  which  prohibits  acts  of  racial  discrimination  against  individuals, 
declares  illegal  and  prohibits  racist  organisations,  and  criminalises  all  acts  of  violence  or 
incitement to such acts against persons or groups of persons on the grounds of race, colour, 
descent, ethnic or national origin. It also noted a persistent narrow interpretation of minorities, 
limited  to  religious  minorities,  and  the  absence  of  a  legislative  framework  to  recognise  and 

3 

 
protect  all  minority  groups,  particularly  ethnic  minorities  and  groups  that  are  minorities  on 
multiple  grounds.  In  this  context,  the  absence  of  recognition  of  the  de-facto  existence  of 
scheduled caste and discrimination against them was mentioned.  

The  Committee  also  expressed  concern  that  minorities  often  face  violence  and  hate  crimes, 
such  as  harassment,  mob  violence  and  killings  of  persons  belonging  to  ethnic  and  religious 
minorities, particularly Hazaras, Christian Dalits, Hindu Dalits and Ahmadis. The Committee 
also  noted  the  particular  problems  faced  by  minorities  in  relation  to  access  to  justice, 
blasphemy laws, violence against women, bonded labour, participation in public affairs and in 
their capacity as human rights defenders. 

The protection of the rights of minorities is a priority in Pakistan's National Action Plan for 
Human  Rights,  including  strengthening  the  independence  and  statutory  status  of  the 
Commission on Minorities and developing a National Policy on Interfaith Harmony. All four 
provinces  have  developed  plans  to  protect  rights  of  minorities  and  protect  their  places  of 
worship. Furthermore, a quota (5%) has been allocated for minorities in public employment. 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) 

The 2013 elections  were  followed for the first time in  the history of Pakistan by a peaceful 
democratic transition from one civilian Government to the next. The much awaited electoral 
reform  bill,  including  32  of  the  50  recommendations  listed  in  the  2013  EU  Electoral 
Observation Mission's report, was enacted on 2 October 2017. 

The Human Rights Committee considered the initial report of Pakistan on 11-12 July 2017. 
The  Committee  welcomed  the  ratification  of  certain  international  human  rights  instruments 
and recent national legislation on, inter alia, amendments to the Criminal Law regarding rape 
and honor-killings and the establishment of the National Commission for Human Rights. The 
Committee however expressed concern on a number of issues relating to the obligations under 
the  CCPR,  a  few  of  which  are  mentioned  below.  It  requested,  in  accordance  with  its 
procedures, Pakistan to follow up, within one year, with information on the implementation of 
some of the Committee's recommendations.   

The  first  recommendation  for  Pakistan  to  follow  up  on  is  to  reinstate  the  moratorium  and 
consider  the  abolition  of  the  death  penalty;  or  at  least  to  ensure  that  death  penalty  is  only 
provided  for  the  "most  serious  crimes",  that  no  one  under  the  age  of  18  or  with  serious 
psychological  or  intellectual  disabilities  is  subjected  to  it  and  that  execution  protocols  are 
followed.  Pakistan  is  to  further  follow  up  on  the  recommendation  to  criminalise  and  put  an 
end to the practice of enforced disappearances and secret detention, and to ensure the prompt 
investigation of cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Finally, Pakistan 
is  requested  to  follow  up  on  the recommendation  to  repeal all  blasphemy  laws  or  to  amend 
them  in  compliance  with  the  strict  requirements  of  the  Covenant;  and  to  ensure  the 
investigation and prosecution of those involved in incitement of or engagement in violent acts 
against others based on allegations of blasphemy.  

Discussions  have  been  ongoing  to  reform  the  status  of  the  Federally  Administered  Tribal 
Areas  (FATA)  where,  since  the  formation  of  Pakistan,  the  outdated  Frontier  Crimes 
Regulation has severely limited the democratic and human rights of citizens living in FATA. 
The Government has decided, in principle, to merge FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which 
would be a first if not complete step towards full recognition of the rights of citizens living in 
FATA. The Human Rights Committee recommended in its report that Pakistan takes steps to 
ensure that the Constitution, federal laws and jurisdiction of the highest courts are applied in 
the entire territory of Pakistan, including FATA. 

4 

 
The right to a fair trial remains a major concern, stemming  from weaknesses of the judicial 
system. A large back-log of cases resulting in defendants spending years in jail before their 
case  is  heard  continues  to  be  a  problem.  Poor  defendants  also  continue  to  have  inadequate 
access  to  legal  representation,  and  allegations  of  corruption  and  intimidation  of  the  courts, 
undermining the course of justice, also continue. Legislative reforms and strengthening of the 
justice system, including juvenile justice, are priorities in the National Action Plan for Human 
Rights. In 2017, the Government introduced a Juvenile Justice Bill in the Parliament, which 
would include age determination protocols. In February 2017, the National Assembly passed 
the  Alternate  Dispute  Resolution  Bill  2017  aimed  at  offering  more  speedy  and  less  costly 
resolution fora for 23 types of civil and criminal cases. This is also seen as a way to minimise 
the  role  of  arbitrary  jirgas  (tribal  councils)  and  give  opportunity  for  women  to  be  heard  in 
cases of violence or dispute. 

Pakistan lifted the moratorium on the application of death penalty in March 2015. According 
to an NGO1, 333 executions were carried out in 2015, 87 in 2016 and 44 in 2017. Pakistan's 
National  Commission  for  Human  Rights  has  recommended  to  review  the  category  of  'most 
serious crimes' from an international law perspective and restrict the death penalty to the most 
serious crimes as a last resort in accordance with the CCPR. According to the Government, 
such a review process started in September 2017. 

Concerns  about  miscarriage  of  justice  in  death  penalty  cases  remain.  In  2016,  the  Supreme 
Court  in  four  separate  cases  acquitted  five  individuals,  but  two  of  these  had  already  been 
executed  and  one  had  died  in  prison  of  natural  causes.  The  two  others  were  released  after 
spending  24  and  11  years  in  prison respectively.  There are still  concerns  about the  possible 
execution  of  juveniles  and  mentally  ill  persons.  In  2016,  the  Supreme  Court  stayed  the 
execution of two mentally ill persons and one paraplegic. Their cases are awaiting review by a 
medical board. 
In  early  2017,  the  Pakistani  Parliament  adopted  the  23rd  constitutional  amendment,  which 
extends  the  jurisdiction  for  special  military  tribunals  to  civilians  in  terrorism-related  cases 
until  January  2019.  The  constitutional  amendment  introduced  certain  safeguards,  including 
the right to be informed about the charges within 24 hours and the right to choose a defence 
lawyer, but observers find that these do not go far enough to assuage serious concerns about 
the right to a fair trial for the defendants. Proceedings still take place in secrecy, there are no 
reasoned judgements and the right of appeal is still restricted. The Human Rights Committee 
has recommended to review legislation relating to military courts with a view to abrogating 
their jurisdiction over civilians and the authority to impose the death penalty; and to reform 
the military courts by bringing their proceedings into full conformity with the Covenant. 

Freedom of expression has come under further strain in the last two years. The Government 
and the security forces are increasingly applying pressure on the print and broadcast media to 
suppress  any  critical  coverage,  in  particular  of  the  armed  forces,  using  intimidation  tactics, 
discrete pressure and selectively applying a media code of conduct. In 2017, social media also 
came  under  pressure,  with  legal  grounds  offered  by  the  new  cybercrimes  law  enacted  in 
August 2016. A campaign against 'blasphemy on social media' has been launched, in which 
the allegation of blasphemy is effectively used to suppress public opinion online. The Human 
Rights Committee recommended Pakistan in its report to ensure that criminal laws are never 

1 http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/ 

5 

 
                                                 
 
improperly  used  against  journalists  or  other  dissenting  voices  and  that  all  reported  cases  of 
harassment,  disappearances  and  killings  of  human  rights  defenders  are  promptly  and 
thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.  

The  registration  process  of  international  NGOs  (INGOs)  continues  to  be  slow  and  non-
transparent.  INGOs  and  national  NGOs  are  required  to  obtain  a  no-objection-certificate 
(NOC)  for  their  activities,  which  is  often  difficult  or  not  granted  at  all.  Furthermore,  they 
experience  threats,  intimidation  and  are  sometimes  banned  by  the  authorities  on  'security' 
grounds. Human rights defenders and civil society activists are particularly at risk, and there 
are reports of murders and arrests on dubious grounds in connection with the aforementioned 
campaign against blasphemy on social media.  

Enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings remain a grave concern and there has been 
an  increase  in  the  number  of  cases  reported  by  human  rights  organisations  in  the  past  two 
years. According to the July 2017 report of the UN Working Group on Extrajudicial Killings, 
there are 723 outstanding cases at the end of the period under review (December 2016). The 
highest number of cases continues to take place in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA 
and Karachi. In early 2017 five critical bloggers disappeared for several weeks, and although 
they  have  re-appeared,  the  circumstances  of  their  disappearance  remain  unknown.  The 
Commission  of  Inquiry  on  Enforced  Disappearances  continues  to  work.  According  to  the 
Government, the Commission has up to November 2016 disposed of 2,416 of the 3,692 cases 
received. 1,276 are still under investigation. However, to date no one has been prosecuted for 
any  disappearance  or  extrajudicial  killing.  The  National  Commission  on  Human  Rights  has 
recommended to criminalise enforced disappearances and strengthen the role and resources of 
the  Commission  of  Inquiry.  In  the  second  cycle  of  the  Universal  Periodic  Review  in  2012, 
Pakistan  accepted  the  recommendation  to  criminalise  enforced  disappearances.  The  same 
recommendation was again made by the Human Rights Committee in 2017. 

Religious minorities continue to face a difficult situation throughout the country, and are often 
subject to violence, intimidation, discrimination and even murder. Nevertheless, some action 
has  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  curb  hate  speech,  including  by  banning  sermons  by 
loudspeaker and prosecuting clerics for stoking animosity against minorities. Police has also 
more actively stepped in to protect religious minorities or their places of worship against mob 
violence  or  terrorist  attacks.  Protective  legislation  has  also  been  adopted,  most  notably  the 
Hindu  Marriage  Bill.  According  to  the  Government,  a  draft  for  a  Christian  Marriage  and 
Divorce  Act  is  being  finalised.  As  mentioned  under  CERD,  a  National  Policy  Interfaith 
Harmony is being developed. The Human Rights Committee recommended in its report that 
Pakistan  reviews  school  textbooks  and  curricula  with  a  view  to  removing  all  religiously 
biased  content,  incorporates  human  rights  education  therein  and  continues  to  regulate 
madrasas; it also recommends to fully implement the judgement of the Supreme Court of 19 
June 2014. 

The blasphemy laws continue to result in the persecution of persons on religious grounds. A 
Government campaign against blasphemy on social media can be seen as contributing to fear 
among religious minorities and stirred strong religious sentiments resulting in several violent 
incidents.  The  Government  has  announced  that  it  is  considering  introducing  additional 
safeguards against misuse of the blasphemy laws. 

The Ahmadi community remains the target of violent persecution. Articles 298B and 298C of 
the Penal Code still provide  that Ahmadis who call themselves Muslims or perform certain 
Islamic  rites  can  be  punished  for  blasphemy  with  up  to  three  years  prison.  An  increasing 
number of cases are also reportedly brought against Ahmadis for 'hate speech' under the anti-

6 

 
terrorism laws. In late 2016, police raided the Ahmadi offices in Rabwah, arrested four people 
and closed the offices. 

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) 

The  Committee  on  Economic,  Social  and  Cultural  Rights  considered  the  initial  report  of 
Pakistan  on  12-13  June  2017.  The  Committee  welcomed  ratification  of  a  number  of 
international  human  rights  instruments  and  the  recent  amendment  of  the  Criminal  Law, 
adopting Anti-Honor Killings legislation. The Committee however expressed concern about a 
number  of  issues  relating  to  the  obligations  under  the  CESCR,  and  requested  Pakistan  to 
follow  up,  within  18  months,  with  information  on  the  implementation  of  some  of  the 
Committee's recommendations. Concerns were expressed on the extreme levels of poverty of 
a  very  large  percentage  of  the  population,  and  occupational  safety  and  health  in  certain 
sectors.  The  Committee  highlighted  its  concerns  regarding  the  right  to  education  and  poor 
school  infrastructures,  poor  quality  of  education  and  high  dropout  rates.  The  Committee 
recommended  that  Pakistan  takes  measures  to  ensure  that  the  National  Commission  for 
Human  Rights  is  able to  fulfil  its mandate  independently  from  the  legislative and executive 
branches of the Government, and that it functions in accordance with the Paris Principles. The 
Committee  further  requested  follow  up  on  the  recommendation  to  ensure  the  protection  of 
human  rights  defenders  from  abductions,  killings  and  intimidation  and  to  investigate  and 
prosecute  all  cases  of  harassment,  disappearance  and  killings.  The  Committee  requested 
Pakistan  to  follow  up  on  their  recommendation  to  ensure  that  all  children  have  the  right  to 
education. 

Pakistan continues to struggle to ensure the progressive realisation of the economic and social 
rights  enshrined  in  the  CESCR.  The  ability  to  succeed  will  to  a  large  extent  depend  on 
generating economic growth and channelling the revenues from this growth into investments 
in  the  welfare  of  the  people.  The  Committee  recommended  to  progressively  develop  and 
apply appropriate indicators on the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights to 
facilitate the assessment of progress for various segments of the population. 

Over the last two years, the present Government kept economic growth as a priority and has 
achieved some results, including through a reform programme supported by the IMF and an 
effort  to  improve  energy  supply.  This  has  led  to  a  stabilisation  of  the  economy  and  an 
improvement  in  annual  growth  rates  from  4%  to  an  expected  5.5-6%  for  2017-2018. 
However, despite a declared aim of increasing tax revenues, results have been marginal and 
largely dependent on regressive direct taxes. Only with efforts to broaden the tax base with a 
focus on income tax will it be possible to the secure the revenue necessary for real change. 

Nearly  up  to  39%  of  the  population  of  Pakistan  is  estimated  to  live  in  multidimensional 
poverty.  With  regard  to  the  right  to  social  security  and  an  adequate  standard  of  living,  the 
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) provides unconditional cash transfers to families 
based  on  a  'poverty  scorecard',  while  also  offering  certain  services  such  as  health  insurance 
and vocational training. Employer financed old age pensions also continue to exist but these 
cover only employees in the formal sector, thus excluding the large majority of the workforce 
in the informal sector. 

Basic social indicators remain poor. Human development indicators on life expectancy, infant 
mortality,  maternal  mortality,  literacy,  school  enrolment  and  completion  provide  a 
problematic picture. Government spending on health has increased by 3% while spending on 

7 

 
education has increased by 23% during 2014-2016.2 The provinces also continue to increase 
their spending allocations on education. However, this still falls short of the declared goal to 
spend 4% of GDP on education. 

Convention  on  the  Elimination  of  All  Forms  of  Discrimination  Against 
Women (CEDAW) 

The last Concluding Observations regarding Pakistan from the Committee on the Elimination 
against Women date from March 2013. Pakistan's country report is due since 1 March 2017. 

The Government continued to attribute high priority to the situation for women and girls has 
in  the  past  two  years.  This  has  resulted  in  new  legislation  and  policies  to  tackle  persistent 
problems and in some instances this seems to have resulted in improvements on the ground. 
However,  women  and  girls  continue  to  be  exposed  to  serious  human  rights  violations, 
including murder, violence, rape, forced marriages and forced conversions and discrimination 
in practically all fields of life.  

According  to  an  NGO,  more  than  2,500  cases  of  serious  violence  against  women  were 
reported in the media in 2016. These ranged from murder, sexual violence, domestic violence, 
acid attacks and kidnappings to harassment.  

The province of Punjab adopted a Protection of Women against Violence Act, criminalising 
all forms of violence against women, addressing weaknesses in the prosecution of offenders 
and  providing  assistance  to  victims.  Sindh  and  Balochistan  already  have  laws  against 
domestic  violence  while  Khyber  Pakhtunkhwa  is  reportedly  in  the  process  of  finalising 
similar legislation. However, a law at federal level on violence against women is still being 
considered. In 2016, the Parliament adopted an anti-rape law (criminal code amendment bill), 
which paves the way for use of DNA in rape cases. According to a study done by an NGO 
working against acid crimes, the number of acid attacks declined by 50% from 2012 to 2016. 
Still, media recorded a total of 67 victims of acid crimes during 2016.  

So called 'honour killings' persist in Pakistan. Statistics for 2016 are not available, but in 2015 
an NGO recorded 987 cases mentioned in the media. Following a spate of highly publicised 
cases  in  2016,  the  Parliament  adopted  a  law  against  honour  killings,  which  removed  the 
possibility for the family of the deceased to forgive the perpetrator.  

Forced  marriages  and  forced  conversions  are  forbidden,  but  continue  to  take  place.  A  local 
NGO  has  estimated  the  number  of  forced  conversions,  mostly  of  women  and  girls,  often 
underage, to around 1000 per year. The Provincial Assembly of Sindh, where most of these 
cases  occur,  took  an  important  step  to  address  this  problem  by  adopting  the  Protection  of 
Minorities  Act,  which  provides  safeguards  against  such  practices.  However,  following 
protests  from  conservative  religious  groups,  the  act  has  not  yet  been  enacted.  Another 
important  development  was  the  adoption,  also  by  the  Provincial  Assembly  of  Sindh,  of  the 
Hindu  Marriage  Act,  which  for  the  first  time  provides  legally  recognizes  marriages  in  the 
Hindu faith. In March 2017, the federal Parliament adopted what is seen as a landmark federal 
legislation on registration of Hindu marriages. 

2 Both figures are nominal.  Source: PRSP Secretariat, Ministry of Finance Government of Pakistan:  
http://www.finance.gov.pk/poverty/PRSP_Expenditure_FY_2015-16.pdf  ; 
http://www.finance.gov.pk/poverty/PRSP_Expenditure_2013_14_2014_15_provisional.pdf  

8 

 
                                                 
 
The  protection  of  the  rights  of  women  and  the  elimination  of  gender  based  violence  is  a 
priority in the National Action Plan for Human Rights. The Ministry for Human Rights has 
formulated  National  Policy  Guidelines  on  Gender  Based  Violence.  The  Commission  on  the 
Status of Women has developed 'Standard Violence against Women' indicators which should 
contribute to the much needed data on human rights in Pakistan. 

Literacy  rates  for  women  and  school  enrolment  and  completion  rates  for  girls  remain 
significantly  below  those  of  men  and  boys  respectively.  During  2016,  an  economic 
empowerment survey was conducted, which illustrates the large economic disparity between 
men  and  women  throughout  the  country,  with  the  Province  of  Punjab  showing  the  lowest 
economic disparity followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. According to 
the  Government,  the  Benazir  Income  Support  Programme  has  played  a  strong  role  in  the 
encouragement and empowerment of over 5.8 million women, especially in rural areas. 

Women continue to be underrepresented, both among voters and elected representatives. The 
electoral reform package includes measures to encourage women's participation in elections. 
Among  elected  representatives,  women  continue  to  have  a  certain  level  of  representation 
through  a  system  of  reserved  seats.  The  Election  Commission  of  Pakistan  has  declared 
elections of a provincial constituency null and void due to no women voting and it is hoped 
this will act as a deterrent. Electoral areas where women voter registration is less than 40% 
compared to men have been identified and are being monitored. 

Convention  against  Torture  and  Other  Cruel,  Inhuman  or  Degrading 
Treatment or Punishment (CAT) 

The Committee against Torture considered the initial report of Pakistan on 18-19 April 2017. 
In  its  Concluding  Observations,  the  Committee  expressed  serious  concern  about  consistent 
reports  that  the  police  engages  in  the  widespread  practice  of  torture  throughout  Pakistan  to 
obtain confessions from persons in custody. It further noted that while information had been 
provided that disciplinary measures have been taken against more than 7,500 police officers 
in  Punjab,  there  was  no  information  about  criminal  investigations  against  any  of  these 
officers.  

It was also observed that procedures in place for investigation into allegations of torture were 
inadequate  to  ensure  that  criminal  cases  against  police  officers  are  effectively  pursued;  that 
oversight bodies foreseen by legislation are not operational or effective in practice; and that 
although medical doctors in many cases have documented evidence of torture, the authorities 
are reluctant to take action on the basis of this information. With regard to the latter, it can be 
noted  that  the  last  2016  GSP  Report  referred  to  a  study  conducted  on  medical  certificates 
issued  by  the  Faisalabad  District  Standing  Medical  Board,  which  found  conclusive  signs  of 
abuse  in  1,424  out  of  1,867  cases  examined.  All  cases  had  been  submitted  to  the  Medical 
Board because of allegations of mistreatment. No action has so far been taken to conduct an 
official investigation into the findings. 

The  Committee  expressed  serious  concern  about  reports  that  the  military,  intelligence    and 
paramilitary  forces  have  been  implicated  in  a  significant  number  of  cases  of  extrajudicial 
executions  involving  torture  and  enforced  disappearances.  It  also  noted  that  certain 
legislation, including  the  Aid  of  Civil  Power  Regulation,  amendments  to  the  Army  Act  and 
provisions in the Anti-Terrorism Act have aided in creating de facto immunity for members of 
the security forces engaged in torture. In this connection it was also observed that the National 
Commission  for  Human  Rights  was  prevented  from  investigating  complaints  involving  the 
military or the intelligence agencies.  

9 

 
It  was  also  noted  that  while  the  Constitution  prohibits  torture  for  the  purpose  of  extracting 
information  and  that  the  infliction  of  'hurt'  is  punishable  under  the  Penal  Code,  current 
legislation fails to provide a definition of torture in accordance with the CAT, or to explicitly 
criminalise  torture  as  required  by  the  CAT.  The  Committee  observed  with  concern  that  the 
bill against Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape has been pending before Parliament 
for several years without adoption. One version of the bill was adopted by the Senate in 2015, 
but  lapsed  due  to  inaction  by  the  National  Assembly.  No  timeline  on  its  adoption  was 
provided. 

The Committee against Torture expressed deep concern about reports of deaths in custody as 
a  result  of  torture  and  severe  overcrowding  and  extremely  poor  conditions  in  places  of 
detention.  Jail  reform  is  a  priority  in  the  National  Action  Plan  for  Human  Rights  and  if 
implemented could offer better conditions in prisons and detention places. The Government is 
working with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and a Prisons Reform Programme has been 
developed to help reforming the legal and regulatory framework, improving management of 
prisons  and  reducing  overcrowding  through  parole  and  probation.  The  provinces  of  Punjab, 
Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have allocated budgetary resources for the repair of existing 
jails, including medical facilities, and for the conctruction of new ones. 

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 

The Committee on the Rights of the Child considered the initial report of Pakistan on 25-26 
May  2016.  In  its  Concluding  Observations,  the  Committee  recognised  initiatives  by  the 
Government  and  the  difficulties  faced,  but  expressed  serious  concerns  with  regard  to 
children's rights, a number of which are outlined below. 

While reiterating positive legislative developments, in particular in areas of child labour and 
education, the Committee expressed concern about delays regarding the adoption of a number 
of  bills.  In  this  context,  differences  between  provinces  were  noted,  following  devolution  of 
power,  but  the  Committee  recalled  the  Government's  responsibility  for  implementation  of 
treaty  obligations  and  encouraged  stronger  coordination  mechanisms  and  allocation  of 
adequate  resources.  The  Committee  also  expressed  concerns  about  legislation  in  some 
provinces that permits marriage of girls at the age of 16 and that includes a definition of a 'girl 
child' that covers girls only up to the age of 16 or puberty.   

The Committee expressed serious concern about the prevalence of violence against children. 
It highlighted reports of torture and ill treatment of children by the police and security forces, 
honour  killings,  widespread  use  of  corporal  punishment,  sexual  abuse  and  exploitation  of 
children and other harmful practices. It also highlighted the attacks on children by terrorists, 
quoted  reports  of  alleged  execution  of  juveniles.  Moreover,  it  encouraged  Pakistan  to  carry 
out a review of all cases involving claims of juvenility and to strengthen the juvenile justice 
system and the system of birth registration.  

The  Committee  also  expressed  concern  regarding  discrimination  against  girls  and  children 
belonging to ethnic and religious minorities and lack of access for many children to adequate 
health services and education.  

According  to  the  Government,  a  process  has  been  initiated  to  follow  up  on  the  Concluding 
Observations  of  the  Committee,  and  a  draft  action  plan  on  this  subject  is  under  discussion 
with  the  provinces.  The  Government  has  also  highlighted  a  number  of  legislative  and 
institutional initiatives taken to improve the rights of children. In this respect the protection of 
the rights of the child is a priority under the National Action Plan for Human Rights.  

10 

 
Recent laws directly aimed at addressing children's rights include the Punjab Child Marriage 
Restraint Act (2015) and the Criminal Law (Second Amendment) Act (2016) against sexual 
abuse  exploitation,  trafficking  and  child  pornography.  Other  newer  laws  with  a  potentially 
positive effect on children's rights include the Domestic Violence (criminal law amendment) 
bill,  the  Hindu  Marriage  Bill  and  the  law  against  honour  killings.  The  law  on  forced 
conversions  adopted  by  the  Sindh  Provincial  Assembly,  but  blocked  by  the  Government, 
would, if adopted unchanged, also provide important protection against forced conversion of 
minors. Furthermore, an important development is the adoption of the National Commission 
on  the  Rights  of  the  Child  Bill  2017.  This  law  establishes  an  independent  statutory  body 
called the National Commission on the Rights of the Child to monitor children rights. 

Sindh has enacted a Child Marriage Restraint Act setting the legal age of marriage of 18 years 
for  both  males  and  females.  Punjab  also  has  a  Marriage  Restraint  Act  setting  the  age  of 
marriage of 18 years for males and 16 years for females. In Parliament a federal law is being 
debated  where  the  proposed  minimum  age  of  marriage  of  18  years  for  females  is  being 
opposed  on  the  grounds  that  underage  marriage  of  females  is  in  accordance  with  religious 
edicts. 

The Government has  adopted an inclusive education  system  for children with  disabilities to 
mainstream them into the formal education system. The Provinces are also taking initiatives, 
for  example  the  'Punjab  Khidmat  Card'  in  the  province  of  Punjab.  Sindh  and  Kyber 
Paktunkhwa are taking intiatives to establish rehabilitiation centers. 

Future actions and priorities 

A  greater  focus  on  human  rights  issues  during  the  reporting  period  has  been  noted.  The 
framework  for  human  rights  is  being  strengthened  with  a  pro-active  Ministry  for  Human 
Rights  and  engagement  by  Parliament,  provinces,  different  coordination  mechanisms  (for 
example  the  TICs)  and  oversight  bodies.  A  National  Human  Rights  Institute  is  being 
established  to  focus  on  human  rights  research  and  training.  The  Law  Reforms  Committee 
continues to work on overhauling legislation (the anti-rape and anti-honour killing laws came 
as  a  result  of  its  work)  and  according  to  the  Government  an  overall  framework  for  human 
rights  is  being  developed  as  part  of  its  participation  in  the  Open  Government  Partnership. 
Important legislation pertaining to protecting and promoting human rights is in the legislative 
process  such  as  the  Bill  Against  Torture,  Custodial  Death  and  Custodial  rape;  the  Juvenile 
Justice  System  Bill;  the  Child  Marriage  Restraint  Act;  the  Christian  Marriage  and  Divorce 
Act;  the  Transgender  Persons  Act  and  the  Reproductive  Healthcare  Rights  Bill.  National 
policies on empowerment of women, on violence against women and on domestic workers are 
being established. A review of the 27 crimes that currently carry the death penalty has started, 
having regard to the principle of limitation of capital punishment to the "most serious crimes". 

Conclusions 

During  the  reporting  period  2016-2017,  improvements  have  been  noted  on  the  institutional 

side, with the establishment of TICs, an intensified debate about human rights, a more active 

role of the Parliament and the Ministry of Human Rights, the adoption of a National Action 

Plan  on  Human  Rights  and  increasingly  active  and  effective  independent  oversight  bodies, 

such  as  the  National  Commission  on  Human  Rights  and  the  Commission  on  the  Status  of 

Women. The establishment of  the National Commission on the Rights of the Child  is also  a 

11 

 
welcome  development.  There  have  also  been  important  developments  in  legislation  on  the 

rights of women and children, most notably on violence against women, honour killings, rape 

and  sexual  abuse  and  exploitation  of  children.  Efforts  have  also  continued  to  curb  hate 

speech. The new electoral reform bill represents an important step for democracy in Pakistan. 

However, effective implementation continues to be a concern. There is a need for sustained 

strengthening  of  institutions  and  implementation  of  legislation,  particularly  the  National 

Action Plan on Human  Rights, across all territories of Pakistan.  There is  a lack of reliable 

data, monitoring and evaluation. 

There  are  a  number  of  areas  where  the  situation  remains  unchanged  or  where  there  are 

worrying developments. Only limited  action has been taken to address the longstanding issue 

of  enforced  disappearances  and  extrajudicial  killings.  Likewise,  the  Government  has  not 

taken effective action to address the widespread use of torture. The application of the death 

penalty  and  executions  remain  a  grave  concern,  while  a  review  of  the  crimes  carrying  the 

death penalty would be a welcome first step in the right direction. 

While  some  actions  have  been  taken  regarding  freedom  of  religion  or  belief,  for  example 

against hate speech, the blasphemy laws and related campaigns in social media, the difficult 

situation of religious and ethnic minorities continues to be a concern. 

There  are  serious  concerns  about  freedom  of  expression,  freedom  of  association  and 

assembly, the situation of human rights defenders and civil society activists, and the overall 

'shrinking civil society space'. 

The picture of Pakistan's performance on human rights druing the reporting period remains 

mixed.  The  lack  of  progress  in  certain  areas  can  to  some  extent  be  explained  by  the  many 

challenges faced by  the Government, including the difficult security situation, and the lack of 

resources  and  capacity.  Recent  positive  steps  taken  with  regards  to  the  establishment  and 

increased  independence  of  national  oversight  bodies,  as  well  as  the  introduction  of  new 

legislation  will  still  need  time  and  dedicated  effort  to  translate  into  a  more  effective 

implementation of Pakstian's human rights obligations. 

Pakistan  must  therefore  step  up  its  efforts  and  take  more  proactive,  sustained  and  forceful 

action  to  implement  legislation  and  to  address  problematic  areas.  In  this  context,  it  is 

important  that  Pakistan  follows-up  on  the  recommendations  provided  by  the  UN  Human 

12 

 
Rights  Treaty  Bodies,  addressing  identified  shortcomings  and  strengthening  the  overall 

implementation of the relevant treaty obligations. 

2.2.  ILO Labour Rights Conventions (conventions 8-15) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Over the reporting period, Pakistan has maintained ratification of the eight ILO fundamental 
conventions relevant for GSP+ and has complied with all its reporting obligations.   

Status of implementation of the conventions 

The  labour  force  in  Pakistan  is  estimated  at  61  million  people  out  of  whom  57  million  are 
employed. The Government estimates that 73% of the workforce is employed in the informal 
sector,  primarily  in  agriculture  and  homebased  work.  The  Government  carried  out  a  new 
labour force survey in 2017, the results of which are not available yet. 
The 18th constitutional amendment from 2010 devolved responsibility for labour rights from 
the  federal  to  the  provincial  level.  Capacity  constraints  at  provincial  level  continue  to 
constitute a challenge for the implementation of ILO conventions, with the picture differing 
from province to province. 

Occupational Safety and Health continues to be an issue in Pakistan. Serious incidents, such 
as  factory  fires  and  building  collapses,  do  occur.  The  working  environments  generally 
remains unhealthy and unsafe. Some sectors have particular problems, such as mining and the 
ship breaking industry. 

The  labour  inspection  system  remains  inadequate.  The  Government  has  developed  a 
framework  for  revitalisation  and  restructuring  of  the  inspection  system  and  is  working  with 
ILO  and  donors  to  implement  improvements,  including  through  recruitment  of  inspectors, 
capacity  building  and  digitisation.  However,  so  far  this  has  not  translated  into  substantial 
improvements and further steps could include a new legislative framework, a separation of the 
inspection system from the provincial labour departments and establishing tripartite oversight 
mechanisms. 

Pakistan has a system of labour courts, which adjudicate matters related to labour rights and 
labour  disputes.  However,  the  effectiveness  of  these  courts  is  hampered  by  long  delays  in 
processing  cases,  complicated  and  costly  procedures  and  allegations  of  collusion  with 
employers.  This  is  not  fundamentally  different  from  the  problems  facing  the  judiciary  in 
general.  Another  problem  that  has  been  brought  up  is  the  lack  of  expertise  of  the  judges  in 
labour  law.  Observers  have  called  for  the  appointment  of  special  labour  judges  with  the 
necessary expertise to serve exclusively in the labour courts.  

Since  2016,  the  EU  funded  project  International  Labour  and  Environmental  Standards 
Application in Pakistan's SMEs (ILES) promotes sustainable and inclusive growth in Pakistan 
by supporting the economic integration of Pakistan into the regional economy by improving 
compliance  with  labour  and  environmental  standards  and  increased  competitiveness.  The 
project will assist public sector institutions to improve the enforcement of existing legislation 
and  compliance  of  international  labour  and  environmental  standards  in  Pakistan,  as  well  as 
define new laws where necessary. In particular, it will assist SMEs in the textile and leather 
sector to institutionalize the implementation of and compliance with ILES legislation through 
their active engagement. 

13 

 
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (Conventions 87 and 98) 

The  rate  of  unionisation  remains  very  low.  Currently  only  1%  of  workers  are  members  of 
trade  unions.  Registration  of  new  unions  in  Pakistani  workplaces  continues  to  be  met  with 
difficulties.  The  requirement  that  a  trade  union  can  only  be  registered  if  it  represents  more 
than  20%  of  the  workforce  has  allegedly  led  to  employers  registering  fake  (pocket)  unions. 
Moreover,  the  registration  process  is  complicated  and  subject  to  wide  discretion  of  the 
registrar,  leading  to  allegations  of  collusion  with  employers  to  prevent  registration.  There 
have been some indications that the 20% threshold could be removed, but no action has yet 
been taken and no proposals have been adopted to streamline the registration process. Legal 
rules  continue  to  exclude  the  formation  of  unions  and  the  right  to  strike  in  health  and 
education, banking and security, which are considered as 'essential' services. 

A  main  challenge  continues  to  be  the  generation  of  new  employment  opportunities  for  a 
rapidly  growing  population.  In  order  to  attract  investment,  the  Government  established  a 
number  of  export  processing  zones  (EPZs)  and  has  recently,  in  connection  with  the 
implementation of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, established new Special Economic 
Zones  (SEZs).  A  main  concern  has  been  that  labour  laws  were  not  applicable  in  the  EPZs. 
According to the Government, labour laws will be fully applicable in the SEZs and that they 
are working to bring EPZs under this regime. 

Sindh  and  Balochistan  have  included  workers  in  the  informal  sector  under  the  industrial 
relations act and the first union, the Sindh Agriculture and Fishing Workers Union has been 
formed.  The  province  is  reportedly  undertaking  awareness  raising  among  informal  sector 
workers of their rights. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is considering a similar step. In Punjab, a home 
based  workers  union  has  been  formed,  but  its  ability  to  operate  and  bargain  collectively  is 
uncertain, given the absence of a legal framework provided by the industrial relations act.  

Harassment and intimidation of trade union members continue to be an issue. This can take 
the form of threats of dismissal. In some instances workers have allegedly been forced to sign 
undated  resignation  letters.  The  widespread  practice  of  not  giving  workers  formal 
employment  contracts,  thus  leaving  them  without  protection  or  the  ability  to  join  a  union, 
continues. The Government has not indicated how it intends to adress this issue, but a robust 
labour inspection system and appropriate sanctions for infractions would be necessary.  

There  are  limitations  on  the  right  to  strike,  and  authorities  can  unilaterally  suspend  actions 
after 30 days, or before it causes 'hardship' on the community. Illegal strikes are punishable 
with  imprisonment  of  up  to  10  years  (or  life)  under  the  offense  of  'civil  commotion'.  The 
police is sometimes called upon to break up strikes and has in a number of cases charged the 
striking workers under the Anti-Terrorism Act. 

Tripartite structures have been strengthened in recent years. The National Industrial Relations 
Committee  has  been  re-established  and  is  taking  a  more  active  role.  Recently  established 
tripartite consultative committees at federal and provincial level have also met regularly in the 
last  few  years  and  discussed  relevant  labour  market  issues.  Two  national  tripartite 
consultations  were  held  in  2017,  to  discuss  labour  market  legislation  in  a  post  devolution 
scenario and the provincial action plans for implementation of said legislation. The workers- 
employers' bilateral council has also continued to be active.  

Abolition of Forced Labour (Conventions 29 and 105) 

Forced labour manifests itself in particular in the form of bonded labour and remains a major 
issue  in  Pakistan.  Bonded  labour  is  most  prevalent  in  the  brick  kiln  production  and  the 
agricultural sector, but also in coal, glass and carpet industries. The problem continues to be 

14 

 
concentrated  mostly  in  Sindh  and  Punjab.  Bonded  labourers  often  belong  to  religious 
minorities and lack basic education, making it more difficult for them to assert their rights. No 
reliable  figures  exist,  but  the  2016  Global  Slavery  Index  estimates  that  around  2.2  million 
people  in  Pakistan  live  in  modern  slavery.  Balochistan  and  Khyber  Pakhtunkhwa  have 
indicated  that  they  intend  to  carry  out  bonded  labour  surveys.  Sindh,  as  part  of  its  planned 
survey on child labour, will assess bonded labour involving children. 

Bonded  labour  was  outlawed  throughout  Pakistan  by  the  1992  Federal  Bonded  Labour 
Abolition  Act.  Some  effort  has  been  made  to  improve  legislation  against  forced  labour  and 
bonded  labour.  Nevertheless,  the  ILO  Committee  of  Experts  on  the  Application  of 
Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) has highlighted certain circumstances in which 
Pakistani  legislation  allows  for  imprisonment  involving  compulsory  labour  in  situations 
which  are  not  permitted  by  the  ILO  fundamental  conventions.  Such  circumstances  include 
punishment for expressing political or religious views, or having participated in strikes. 

In  2015,  provincial  bonded  labour  abolition  acts  were  adopted  in  Khyber  Pakhtunkhwa  and 
Sindh.  Punjab  and  Balochistan  are  working  on  their  own  bonded  labour  abolition  acts.  In 
2016,  Punjab  also  adopted  the  prohibition  of  child  labour  in  the  Brick  Kilns  Act,  which 
includes some provisions aimed at addressing bonded labour in kilns. Authorities in Khyber 
Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab are taking action in relation to bonded labour, including in 
brick kilns (see section on Conventions 138 and 182).  

Enforcement continues to be a concern: very few, if any, cases are being prosecuted. Penalties 
are often inadequate to deter infractions and law enforcement lacks awareness of labour issues 
and the capacity to tackle them effectively. Moreover, corruption affects the capacity of  local 
law enforcement officials to prevent investigations and prosecutions. 

Minimum Age for Work and Worst Forms of Child Labour (Conventions 138 
and 182) 

Child labour continues to be a major concern in Pakistan. A national child labour survey has 
not been carried out since 1996, so accurate figures are lacking. The ILO has estimated that 
2.5 million children between the age of 10 and 14 are in employment, likely bringing the total 
number  of  child  workers  in  Pakistan  to  a  much  higher  figure.  Punjab  and  Sindh  are  in  the 
process of carrying out new child labour surveys, while Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 
have plans to do so. Punjab has already completed a survey of the brick kiln industry. Azad 
Jammu and Kashmir territory also have plans for a survey. 

The  majority  of  child  labour  in  Pakistan  takes  place  in  the  agricultural  sector.  However, 
problems are also significant in brick kilns and in certain industries, such as gemstones and 
stone crushing. There is also a growing issue with child domestic workers, where a number of 
cases  of  abuse  of  underage  domestic  workers  have  been  reported  in  the  media.  The  worst 
forms  of  child  labour  are  reportedly  also  prevalent,  including  bonded  child  labour  in  brick 
kilns,  carpet  weaving  and  work  in  the  mining  industry.  There  are  also  reports  of  children 
being recruited by militant groups and for sexual exploitation. 

Combatting  child  labour  is  a  priority  for  Pakistan.  In  2016,  the  Ministry  of  Overseas 
Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOP&HRD) developed a national strategy to 
eliminate child and bonded labour in collaboration with the provinces. Under this strategy, the 
provincial  labour  departments  shall  take  steps  on  legislation,  rules  and  regulations, 
enforcement of laws, policies and action plans. Proposed actions include capacity building of 
all  stakeholders,  enhanced  data  collection  efforts,  information  and  education  campaigns  and 
strengthened law enforcement efforts. On the legislative side, the federal law on employment 
of children (1991) has now been replaced in all provinces by provincial acts on the prohibition 

15 

 
or restriction of employment of children. Generally, these laws prohibit children under 14 to 
engage  in  any  work  and  children  under  18  to  engage  in  hazardous  occupations.  While 
generally  welcomed,  some  observers  have  concerns  that  the  definition  of  hazardous 
occupations is not always comprehensive enough. They have also pointed out that there is a 
discrepancy  between  the  14  year  age  limit  and  the  fact  that  the  Constitution  requires 
compulsory education until the age of 16. 

Enforcement is still an issue, hampered by the weakness of the labour inspection system and 
the  total  absence  of  inspections  in  the  informal  sector  where  most  children  work. 
Nevertheless,  provinces  have  reported  that  they  have  taken  special  steps  to  monitor  child 
labour and that this has resulted in arrests and prosecutions.  

Punjab has made special efforts to address child labour in brick kilns. With the adoption of the 
Prohibition of Child Labour in Brick Kiln Act in 2016, the presence of children in the value 
chain  has  been  criminalised,  the  presence  of  children  on  the  worksites  has  been  prohibited, 
inspections  in  kilns  have  increased  and  additional  measures  have  been  taken,  including  the 
provision of Computerised National Identity Cards to workers and their families and financial 
incentives for school enrolment of children. According to the Government, 9,065 inspections 
took  place  in  brick  kilns  and  778  cases  were  lodged,  resulting  in  a  significant  reduction  of 
child labour from 25% to 3%. 

While  the  efforts  in  Punjab  and  elsewhere  must  be  acknowledged,  they  are  still  not  on  par 
with the size of the problem. The targeted effort against child labour in brick kilns in Punjab 
has  demonstrated  that  the  problem  can  be  addressed  successfully.  This  effort  must  be 
sustained and followed in other parts of the country and in other sectors where child labour is 
prevalent, most notably in agriculture. At the same time, sanctions against infractions should 
be coupled with other measures to act as an effective long-term deterrent.  

Elimination of Discrimination (Conventions 100 and 111) 

Pakistan's  Constitution  prohibits  discrimination  on  the  basis  of  race,  religion,  caste,  sex, 
residence and place of birth. There is also legislation in place, which, inter alia, provides for 
equal pay for men and  women. Apart from the Protection against Harassment of Women at 
Workplace  Act  (which  is  being  amended  to  include  colleges  and  universities),  no  specific 
anti-discrimination  laws  exist,  and  some  observers  report  about  gaps  in  legal  protection. 
MOP&HRD has drafted a model anti-discrimination law. Provinces have indicated that they 
are  examining  this  law  and  are  considering  adopting  corresponding  legislation  at  the 
provincial  level.  Some  provinces  have  also  indicated  that  provincial  legislation  is  already 
prohibiting all forms of discrimination.  

Discrimination against women in the workplace continues to be a major concern. The wage 
gap  is  significant  and  some  estimate  that  women  receive  on  average  less  than  60%  of  the 
salary  of  men  for  equal  work.  The  labour  market  participation  of  women  (24%)  is 
significantly  lower  than  that  of  men  (81%).  The  2017  Labour  Force  Survey  is  expected  to 
provide  updated  information  on  this  gap.  Women  are  also  reportedly  discriminated  against 
when  it  comes  to  promotions,  often  face  sexual  harassment,  and  have  difficulty  receiving 
maternity benefits and lack basic facilities in the workplace. 

There  are  reports  that  provinces  are  taking  some  action,  including  by  sensitising  labour 
inspectors and actively enforcing anti-discrimination provisions, but the scope and intensity is 
unclear. There are also quotas for women in certain public positions, but they are sometimes 
unfilled,  ostensibly  due  to  a  lack  of  qualified  candidates.  The  low  number  of  complaints, 
including to the Ombudsman, is sometimes pointed out, but this is more likely a reflection of 
a lack of empowerment, rather than an absence of problems. Some awareness-raising has been 

16 

 
done  by  the  Ombudsman's  secretariat  to  promote  the  effective  use  of  online  complaints 
systems. The Higher Education Commission is working to mainstream gender in business and 
media  curricula  of  universities.  Trainings  have  been  carried  out  for  journalists  and  media 
workers on gender sensitive reporting and issues of women in the workplace. Trainings have 
also been carried out on sexual harassment laws. 

Ethnic  and  religious  minorities  are  also  disadvantaged  in  the  workplace.  They  are  often 
confined to low-wage menial labour and are disproportionally often victims of bonded labour. 
Some provinces have quotas for minorities in public employment, but it is unclear if these are 
filled and if they predominantly apply to lower wage jobs. Persons with disabilities also face 
difficulty in getting employed. The law provides for equal rights for persons with disabilities. 
Certain  steps  have  been  taken  to  promote  access  for  this  group  to  civil  service  exams  and 
employment  quotas  at  federal  and  provincial  level  are  in  place,  which  require  public  and 
private  organisations  to  reserve  at  least  2%  of  jobs  for  qualified  persons  with  disabilities. 
However, this requirement is often not implemented due to lack in effective enforcement. 

Future actions and priorities 

Despite some progress, Pakistan continues to be confronted with a number of pressing issues 
with  regard  to  the  protection  of  labour  rights.  Some  provinces,  namely  Punjab,  Sindh  and 
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have been more active in terms of building a legislative framework and 
its  implementation.  Labour  force  and  child  labour  surveys  are  underway,  which  are  an 
important step for a reliable overview of the labour situation in the  country. The number of 
labour inspectors has been stagnating countrywide and the whole labour inspection system is 
in need of reform, which is essential to improve the enforcement of labour rights and working 
conditions. The number of labour inspectors is planned to be increased further. The Ministry 
of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOP&HRD) has indicated that it 
is  working  to  develop  a  National  Labour  Protection  Framework  along  with  provincial  time 
bound action plans, focusing on seven thematic areas: child labour, forced labour, freedom of 
association  and  collective  bargaining,  non-discrimination,  labour  inspection,  social  dialogue 
and  occupational  safety  and  health.  The  federal  and  provincial  authorities  are  taking  some 
initiatives to improve anti-discrimination legislation, but stronger action will be needed. 

Conclusions 

Overall,  further  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  provinces  to  adopt  legislation  and  to  develop 

procedures and guidelines to implement the ILO fundamental conventions, also in the context 

of devolution of labour rights from the federal to the provincial levels. While this process is 

still  not  complete, 

it  has  moved 

forward  during 

the  reporting  period.  However, 

implementation and enforcement of laws and regulations continue to be a problem, although 

some provinces have stepped up efforts to improve enforcement. Further efforts are needed to 

improve the labour inspection system and overall working conditions. 

The  work  undertaken  by  the  Ministry  of  Overseas  Pakistanis  and  Human  Resource 

Development  to  develop  a  national  labour  protection  framework  and  by  the  federal  and 

provincial authorities to strengthen the labour inspection system aim to improve compliance 

17 

 
with  rights  and  standards.  Labour  force  and  child  labour  surveys  are  ongoing,  thus 

improving data availability. 

There have been some improvements in the area of tripartite dialogue, as the frequency of the 

meetings  both  at  federal  and  provincial  level  increased.  Efforts  in  this  area  should  be 

intensified  and  could  be  expanded  to  more  areas  of  labour  market  and  social  policies.  The 

gradual opening for the formation of trade unions in the informal sector is also positive. The 

Government  should  address  the  persistent  obstacles  for  the  registration  and  functioning  of 

trade unions, as the level of unionisation continues to be low.  

Regarding child labour, some progress can be noted, in particular the effort made by Punjab 

to  address  child  labour  in  brick  kilns.  However,  efforts  addressing  child  labour  must  be 

intensified and extended to other provinces and to other sectors. Some efforts to tackle bonded 

labour  have  been  made,  although  the  results  are  less  evident.  Only  limited  efforts  were 

undertaken  to  improve  gender  discrimination  in  employment  and  to  tackle  discrimination 

against persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. 

Overall, there has been some progress and commitment to improve the implementation of the 

ILO fundamental conventions. Federal and provincial authorities must continue and further 

strengthen  their  efforts,  with  a  particular  focus  on  some  of  the  most  problematic  issues, 

notably to ensure the right of trade unions to register and operate, to enhance the functioning 

of the labour inspection, to improve occupational health and safety of workers, to eradicate 

bonded labour, and to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. 

2.3.  UN  Conventions  on  Environmental  Protection  and  Climate 

Change (conventions 16-23) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Pakistan  maintains  ratification  of  all  conventions.  Pakistan  is  up  to  date  with  reporting 
requirements for all conventions, except under the UNFCCC. 

Status of implementation of the conventions 

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and 
Fauna (CITES) 

All annual reports under CITES are submitted. Biennial reports on legislative, regulative and 
administrative measures to enforce the Convention were submitted until 2013-2014, while at 
the time of drafting this report, those for 2015-16 were in preparation. 

National  legislation  still  falls  under  category  2,  which  means  that  national  legislation  is 
believed generally not to meet all of the requirements for the implementation of CITES. The 

18 

 
implementing  rules  for  the  Pakistan  Trade  Control  of  Wild  Fauna  and  Flora  Act  2012  are 
being developed. Provincial Governments are fully functional to implement CITES in all four 
provinces.  

Pakistan  continued  to  actively  pursue  its  drive  against  illegal  trade  of  wildlife  within  the 
South  Asia  Wildlife  Enforcement  Network.  For  example,  150  desert  lizards  were  seized  by 
the authorities in Sindh, which had been intended to be sold to other countries in the region. 
Several attempts of turtle smuggling (including black pond turtles) were foiled. Almost 200 
black pond turtles were repatriated to China by the Customs Authorities. The Government of 
Sindh  has  amended  its  Wildlife  legislation  which  now  includes  all  species  of  freshwater 
turtles  as  protected.  Sindh  has  also  banned  turtle  hunting  and  bear  baiting  which  has 
contributed to preventing illegal trade in protected species. 

However,  there  have  been  cases  where  endangered  species  have  been  put  under  additional 
threats.  The  most  prominent  example  is  related  to  the  Houbara  Bustard.  In  2016,  it  was 
reported  that  due  to  foreign  policy  considerations  and  a  decision  by  the  Supreme  Court, 
Punjab  and  Balochistan  Provinces  issued  hunting  permits  for  the  Houbara  Busard  to  royals 
from  middle eastern countries. Nevertheless, the CITES Management Committee within the 
Ministry of Climate did not issue export certificates. 

The Sindh Wildlife Department is also cooperating with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on its 
enforcement  efforts.  A  National  Plan  of  Action  has  been  developed  and  more  than  200 
representatives of law enforcement agencies have received training covering  key aspects of 
illegal  wildlife  trade.  Additionally,  wildlife  information  desks  are  being  set  up  in 
collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority at airports and provincial wildlife departments 
to increase vigilance over wildlife traffickers at important exit points of the country.  

Basel Convention 

The  National  Report  for  2015  was  submitted  in  October  2016.  Pakistan  is  developing  a 
national  hazardous  waste  management  policy.  The  Basel  Convention  Import  Policy  Order 
2016, which bans import of hazardous wastes, has been issued.3 Procedures for the import of 
scrap/waste  tires  have  been  laid  out  in  the  policy.  A  project  on  environmentally  sound 
management of waste from ship-breaking at Gaddani (the world's second largest shipbreaking 
yard) has been concluded and the Ministry of Climate Change is assessing how to develop a 
project based on the proposals of the report. Pakistan has not yet issued hazardous substances 
rules.  

Convention on Biological Diversity 

A National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) has been prepared in consultation 
of  the  Provinces  and  is  currently  being  reviewed  by  the  Prime  Minister's  Office.  The  fifth 
Annual Report has been submitted. 

Land degradation and desertification remain serious issues in Pakistan and is the main cause 
of loss of biodiversity and agricultural productivity. Land use planning is almost non-existent 
in  Pakistan  and  consequently  the  impact  of  land  degradation  and  desertification  on  national 
economy  are  not  well  documented.  Water  erosion,  wind  erosion,  depletion  of  soil  fertility, 
water  logging,  salinity,  deforestation  and  overgrazing  are  major  causes  of  land  degradation. 
The  Khyber  Pakhtunkhwa  Government  presented  its  'Billion  Tree  Tsunami'  project  at  the 
pavilion of the International Union of the Conservation for Nature (IUCN) to be implemented 

3 http://www.pkrevenue.com/customs/import-policy-order-2016-import-of-mobile-handset-subject-to-pta-approval/  

19 

 
                                                 
over  four  years.  Already  thousands  of  nurseries  have  been  set  up  and  around  100  million 
saplings have been planted across the province. 

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 

Pakistan submitted the required National Implementation Plan (NIP), but none of the required 
updates so far. An update of the NIP (together with an inventory of new POPs) is expected to 
be  submitted  by  December  2017.  The  second  national  report  is  still  pending,  but  the  third 
report was submitted in January 2016.  

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 

The  Ministry  of  Climate  Change,  with  the  help  of  the  IUCN,  has  revised  the  National 
Biodiversity  Strategy  and  Action  Plan  (NBSAP)  of  Pakistan,  which  is  anticipated  to  be 
approved  by  December  2017.  The  NBSAP  has  a  strategy  to  achieve  the  Aichi  Biodiversity 
Targets by 2020. 

A  National  Biosafety  Centre  was  established  at  the  Federal  level.  Biosafety  Rules  and 
Guidelines recommended setting up an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), a Technical 
Advisory  Committee  and  the  National  Biosafety  Committee  (NBC).  All  institutions,  both 
public  and  private,  involved  in  research  and  development  of  biotechnology  are  required  to 
establish an IBC, which is responsible for giving clearance for initiating research according to 
the Biosafety Guidelines. More than 40 IBCs belonging to both private and public sector have 
been registered with the NBC. The Biosafety Guidelines provide procedures for the research 
and development on living and genetically modified organisms and their products, including 
their  release  and  their  products  for  field  trials  as  well  as  for  commercial  purposes.  The 
Government  is  planning  to  establish  an  efficient  regulatory,  administrative  and  monitoring 
framework  for  the  implementation  of  the  Cartagena  Protocol;  a  ten  year  national  biosafety 
framework  for  the  implementation,  coordination,  and  monitoring  of  the  Protocol,  including 
mechanisms  to  make  science-based  risk  assessments  and  ensuring  transparency  in  the 
development and use of living modified organisms. 

Conventions on Climate Change 

Pakistan is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Due to a rapidly growing 
population  and  an  insufficient  public  infrastructure,  the  impact  of  a  changing  climate  and 
extreme weather events is multiplied. Pakistan emits about 1% of global emissions. Its  high 
carbon intensity is almost 4 times the world average. The Global Climate Risk Index (2017) 
ranks Pakistan as number 7 among the most adversely affected countries by climate change. 

Pakistan has made some progress in this field. It ratified the Paris Agreement in April 2016. 
The country submitted in 2015 what some think tanks consider a rather unambitious and non-
committal climate action plan, in particular given the exposure to climate induced disasters in 
the last five years: droughts, floods and more recently, intense heatwaves. It does not specify 
an  emissions  reduction  target  or  set  of  mitigation  activities.  Pakistan's  INDCs  (Intended 
Nationally Determined Contributions) stem from the country's strategic plan Vision 2025. The 
INDCs  present  the  overall  Greenhouse  Gas  (GHG)  emissions  profile  and  future  emission 
projections, by considering both the present and future socio-economic parameters, changes in 
the  demographic  dynamics  and  emerging  energy  needs.  They  also  describe  mitigation  and 
adaptation  measures  already  being  implemented  in  Pakistan  and  discuss  the  challenges  and 
difficulties being faced and those likely to be confronted in coming years. 

20 

 
 
 
 
The  presentation  of  INDCs  does  not  lessen  the  challenges  that  Pakistan  faces  until  they  are 
comprehensively implemented. The country  is  believed to  be at the crossroads of economic 
development, offering a promising potential for mitigation and adaptation with a favourable 
opportunity to embark upon low emissions developmental pathways. Fundamental ingredients 
of  development,  such  as  energy  needs,  food  and  water  consumption  levels,  infrastructure 
development,  transportation  and  communication  channels  are  expected  to  grow  manifold  in 
the  coming  years.  Consequently,  GHG  emissions  are  likely  to  grow  exponentially,  unless 
cleaner and sustainable technologies can intercept the developmental trajectory and engineer 
the desired change. 

Most  actions  are  contingent  upon  the  provision  of  international  climate  finance.  Pakistan 
received  about  USD  5  million  from  the  Adaptation  Fund  and  funding  of    USD  38  million 
approved  by  the  Green  Climate  Fund  (GCF).  The  Pakistan  Climate  Change  Act  2017  was 
passed  by  the  Senate  of  Pakistan  in  March  2017.  This  law  will  establish  a  policy-making 
Climate Change Council, along with a Climate Change Authority to prepare and supervise the 
implementation  of  projects  to  help  Pakistan  adapt  to  climate  impacts  and  monitor  GHG 
emissions. 

Pakistan  only  reluctantly  agreed  to  the  Kigali  Amendment  to  the  Montreal  Protocol  and 
benefits from a deferred schedule for phasing-out HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons). 

Conclusions 

Pakistan's efforts to implement the environmental conventions have improved. With legislative 

measures largely in place, Pakistan now looks towards strengthening institutions to achieve a 

sustained  level  of  implementation  of  the  conventions,  especially  those  pertaining  to 

environmental  and  climate  change.  There  is  a  growing  awareness  with  regard  to  effective 

implementation  of  these  conventions  among  civil  society  organisations.  The  judiciary  has 

been  highly  critical  about  the  Houbara  Bustard  hunting.  The  collaboration  between  the 

Government,  the  IUCN  and  the  WWF  reflects  a  change  in  priorities  with  regard  to 

biodiversity, an area which used to be largely neglected before 2014. 

An  integrated  approach  could  help  to  advance  on  different  dimensions  of  sustainable 

development.  Decentralised  renewable  energy  systems  could  help  to  ensure  stable  and 

pollution-free access to electricity. 

Technology and capacity building are important to enable an accelerated market take-up of 

green  solutions.  Enhanced  cooperation  with  the  EU  but  also  South-South  cooperation  and 

triangular  cooperation  should  be  sought.  Pakistan  received  climate  finance  from  the 

Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund. 

21 

 
 
 
 
2.4.  UN Conventions on Good Governance (Conventions 24-27) 

Status of ratification and reporting 

Pakistan  maintains  ratification  of  all  conventions.  Pakistan  is  up  to  date  with  reporting 
requirements for all conventions. 

Status of implementation of the conventions 

UN Conventions Fighting Illegal Drugs  

Pakistan  continues  to  be  one  of  the  world's  top  transit  corridors  for  opiates  and  cannabis, 
which  are  trafficked  through  the  porous  border  area  with  Afghanistan  and  Iran.  The  United 
Nations  Office  on  Drugs  and  Crime  (UNODC)  estimates  Pakistan  is  the  destination  and 
transit  country  for  approximately  40%  of  the  opiates  produced  in  Afghanistan.  Pakistan's 
main opium poppy growing areas remain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, and north-eastern 
Balochistan.  Insecurity  in  these  regions  has  prevented  the  conduct  of  reliable  ground 
surveying,  hampering  efforts  to  determine  precise  cultivation  levels.  In  2015,  the  Anti- 
Narcotics Force (ANF) reported 977 hectares (ha) of poppy and eradicated 605 ha, leaving a 
balance of 372 ha that were not eradicated.  

In 2016, Pakistan's law enforcement agencies made multiple noteworthy seizures and arrests. 
During  2015,  the  ANF  registered  1,207  cases  of  drug  charges  with  a  35%  conviction  rate. 
However, some of these cases are overturned on appeal, and many more are still pending final 
court  decisions,  adding  to  Pakistan’s  vast  pre-trial  detention  prisoner  population.  The  vast 
majority  of  these  cases  involved  low-level  possession  or  small  quantity  courier  trafficking. 
Suspects arrested by the ANF – mostly small-time traffickers – were tried in special narcotics 
courts that only hear cases put forth by the ANF, and the ANF employed its own prosecutor 
corps to prosecute the cases. 

Pakistan's  drug  treatment  capacities,  with  fewer  than  100  clinics  operating  nationwide, 
remained  insufficient  to  meet  the  growing  demand.  Very  few  public  hospitals  offer  drug 
treatment  services,  though  Khyber  Pakhtunkhwa  was  the  first  province  to  take  steps  to 
integrate  basic  addiction  counselling  into  its  public  health  system.  Lacking  Government 
funding, over 90% of Pakistan's detoxification centres are operated by NGOs. As a result, cost 
remains  the  primary  obstacle  preventing  widespread  access  to  treatment,  leaving  75%  of 
people  addicted  to  opiates  without  help.  According  to  the  recent  UNODC  estimates,  fewer 
than 30,000 drug users received detoxification therapy annually. Due to a lack of institutional 
capacity to serve women, the majority of drug users receiving treatment are men. 

The  nexus  of  opium  traffickers  and other  drug traffickers  in  Afghanistan,  Iran  and  Pakistan 
has been highlighted in the UNODC annual report. The INCB report 2016 mentions cannabis 
as the most widely produced, trafficked and consumed drug in the world, and cannabis plant 
continues to be widely cultivated in Asia. The report places Pakistan among the three biggest 
cannabis producers.  

UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)  

The  country  review  of  Pakistan  (2010-2015)  of  the  United  Nations  Convention  against 
Corruption (UNCAC) implementation review mechanism is not yet finalised.  

The  National  Accountability  Bureau  (NAB)  is  the  official  Anti-Corruption  Agency  of 
Pakistan. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Anti-Corruption Establishments in the 
provinces  also  play a  role  in  curtailing  corruption  but  NAB  is  the  exclusive  agency  for  this 
purpose. 

22 

 
In  2017,  the  NAB  intends  to  further  strengthen  its  anti-corruption  efforts  by  strengthening 
awareness  with  a  strong  focus  on  the  youth  of  the  country.  The  NAB  plans  to  establish  an 
exclusive  Anti-Corruption  Academy  for  capacity  building  of  investigation  officers  through 
specialised  trainings.  It  also  plans  to  form  an  anti-corruption  forum  in  collaboration  with 
countries in the region to enhance and strengthen anti-corruption activities across borders. 

The  NAB  has  been  widely  criticised  by  the  Supreme  Court  during  hearings  in  corruption 
cases against the Prime Minister's family, invoked after the Panama leaks. In January 2017, 
the National Accountability  (Amendment)  Ordinance  - II was  promulgated by the President 
whereby  Voluntary  Return  &  Pleas  Bargain  under  Section  25  (a)  &  (b)  in  NAO  1999  was 
substituted  by  Voluntary  Return  with  amended  implications  of  conviction.  Previously,  the 
plea bargain clause enabled corrupt individuals to walk free after paying back part of the ill-
gotten  money.  Presently,  the  NAO  1999  is  being  reviewed  by  a  committee  comprising 
legislators from both houses of the Parliament. 

Pakistan slightly improved its position in Transparency International's Corruption Perception 
Index, ranking 117 out of 167 countries with a score of 30 out of 100 in 2015 and ranking 116 
out of 176 countries with a score of 32 in 2016. 

Conclusions  

Efforts are being made to strengthen the anti-corruption framework, including through review 

of legislation and awareness building. This is strongly encouraged. 

Closer coordination of law enforcement agencies, more readily shared information, and more 

efficient  use  of  limited  resources  would  enable  Pakistan  to  more  effectively  reduce  drug 

trafficking.  Increased  public  awareness  about  the  drug  trade  and  its  negative  societal 

influences  would  further  facilitate  concerted  Government  action  across  law  enforcement 

agencies. 

3. Trade and Economy 

3.1.  Trade Picture 
Pakistan's economy is still quite dependent on agriculture, which accounts for around 25% of 
GDP  and  45%  of  employment.  Services  and  industry  account  for  55%  and  9%  of  GDP 
respectively.4 Pakistan's  economy  has  shown  signs  of  recovery  after  experiencing  subdued 
growth  rates  of  3-4%  over  the  period  2011-2015  due  to  an  energy  crisis,  a  volatile  security 
environment,  recurring  natural  disasters  and  challenges  in  economic  governance.  Growth  is 
expected to further consolidate in the coming years. 

From  2006  to  2016,  EU  imports  from  Pakistan  almost  doubled  from  EUR  3.3  to  EUR  6.2 
billion. The growth of imports has been particularly fast since the award of GSP+ to Pakistan 
in January 2014, with a 21% increase between 2014 and 2016 in terms of GSP+ imports into 
the EU. 

4 World Bank data 

23 

 
                                                 
The EU is Pakistan's first export destination absorbing around 29% of Pakistan's total exports 
to  the  world,  followed  by  the  USA  (16%),  China  (9%)  and  Afghanistan  (8%).  The  EU  is 
Pakistan's third largest source of imports, after China (23%) and the UAE (14%), accounting 
for around 10% of the total. 

Pakistan  takes  part  in  economic  integration  efforts  within  the  South  Asian  Association  for 
Regional  Cooperation  (SAARC)  and  has  trade  agreements  with  China,  Indonesia,  Malaysia 
and Sri Lanka. 

3.2.  GSP+ Statistics 

Figures 1-3 below describe Pakistan's utilisation of GSP+ in the context of its overall imports 
to the EU. Pakistani GSP+ exports to the EU are dominated by textiles and clothing, which 
together accounted for 80% of the total. 

Source for all statistics: Eurostat data as of September 2017. 

Figure 1 

Pakistan - Imports to the EU, 2014-2017 

Figures in thousand EUR 

2014 

2015 

2016 

2017 (Q1-
2) 

Trend 
2014-2016 

Total imports to EU 
GSP+ eligible imports 
GSP+ preferential imports 
GSP+ utilisation rate 

5,390,009 
4,775,255 
4,557,142 
95.4% 

5,953,902 
5,450,261 
5,235,525 
96.1% 

6,197,304 
5,775,157 
5,521,262 
95.6% 

3,292,927 
3,053,459 
2,939,886 
96.3% 

15.0% 
20.9% 
21.2% 
0.2% 

Figure 2 

Pakistan - Imports to the EU, 2014-2016 

5.953.902 

6.197.304 

5.390.009 

7.000.000

6.000.000

5.000.000

4.000.000

3.000.000

84.55% 

87.93% 

89.09% 

2.000.000

1.000.000

0

4.05% 
11.41% 

2014

3.61% 
8.46% 

2015

4.10% 
6.81% 

2016

)
R
U
E
d
n
a
s
u
o
h
t
(

U
E
e
h
t
o
t

s
t
r
o
p
m

I

GSP+ preferential
imports

Eligible GSP+ imports
which do not use
GSP+ preferences

Other preferential
and non-preferential
imports

24 

 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 3 

Pakistan -  
Product Diversification of GSP+ Preferential Imports, 
2016 

Other made-up textile articles

14% 

6% 

10% 

28% 

Articles of apparel and clothing
accessories, not knitted or
crocheted
Articles of apparel and clothing
accessories, knitted or crocheted

19% 

24% 

Cotton

Articles of leather

All other sections

25 

 
 
 
 
ANNEX 

Pakistan – Treaty Ratification and Reporting  

Convention 

Status of ratification / 
reservations5 

Compliance with reporting obligations to 
monitoring bodies 

1. Convention on the 
Prevention and Punishment 
of the Crime of Genocide 

2. International Convention 
on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Racial 
Discrimination 

3. International Covenant on 
Civil and Political Rights 

Ratified: 12.10.1957 

No reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Ratified: 21.09.1966 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Last report submitted on 02.11.2015. 

Ratified: 23.06.2010 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

Reservations made at 
ratification, of which two 
remain, on Articles 3 and 
256 

Last report submitted on 19.10.2015. 

4. International Covenant on 
Economic, Social and 
Cultural Rights 

Ratified: 17.04.2008 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

Reservation made7 

Last report submitted on 16.10.2015. 

5. Convention on the 
Elimination of All Forms of 
Discrimination against 
Women 

6. Convention against 
Torture and other Cruel, 
Inhuman or Degrading 
Treatment or Punishment 

Ratified: 12.03.1996 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

Last report was due on 01.03.2017 (Fifth Report). 

Accession subject to the 
provisions of the Pakistan 
constitution  

Reservation to Article 29 

Ratified: 23.06.2010 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Reservations made at 
ratification, of which 
reservations to Article 8  
two remain, on Articles 3 
and 258 

Last report submitted on 04.01.2016 (First Report). 

Next report due on 12.05.2021. 

7. Convention on the Rights 
of the Child 

Ratified: 12.11.1990 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Last report submitted on 23.05.2014. 

5 Reservations do not apply in the ILO system, so there is no relevance to providing information on reservations under each 
of these conventions. 
6 Pakistan made nine reservations to the CCPR at ratification. Leading up to joining the GSP+, most reservations were 
withdrawn, and the remaining reservations were made more specific. Currently, Pakistan has reservations to Articles 3 and 
25.  
7 Reservation: "With a view to achieving progressively the full realisation of the rights recognised in the present Covenant, 
Pakistan shall use all appropriate means to the maximum of its resources." 
8 Pakistan made nine reservations to the CCPR at ratification. Leading up to joining the GSP+, most reservations were 
withdrawn, and the remaining reservations were made more specific. Currently, Pakistan has reservations to Articles 3 and 
25.  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
8. Convention concerning 
Forced or Compulsory 
Labour, No. 29 

9. Convention concerning 
Freedom of Association and 
Protection of the Right to 
Organise, No. 87 

10. Convention concerning 
the Application of the 
Principles of the Right to 
Organise and to Bargain 
Collectively, No. 98 

11. Convention concerning 
Equal Remuneration of Men 
and Women Workers for 
Work of Equal Value, No. 
100 

12. Convention concerning 
the Abolition of Forced 
Labour, No. 105 

13. Convention concerning 
Discrimination in Respect of 
Employment and 
Occupation, No. 111 

14. Convention concerning 
Minimum Age for 
Admission to Employment, 
No. 138 

15. Convention concerning 
Minimum Age for 
Admission to Employment, 
No. 182 

Ratification: 1957 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2014; Direct 
Request 2014. 

Ratification: 1951 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2016; Direct 
Request 2016. 

Ratification: 1952 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2016. 

Ratification: 2001 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2015; Direct 
Request 2015. 

Ratification: 1960 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2014; Direct 
Request 2014. 

Ratification: 1961 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2015; Direct 
Request 2015. 

Ratification: 2006  

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Minimum age specified: 14 
years 

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2014; Direct 
Request 2014. 

Ratification: 2001 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

Latest CEACR comments: Observation 2014; Direct 
Request 2014. 

16. CITES 

Accession: 20.04.1976 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Last (2014 Annual) Report submitted on 02.05.2017. 

Biennial Reports submitted for 2015-2016 on 
02.05.2017. 

17. Montreal Protocol 

Accession: 18.12.1992 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Most recent data for 2016 was submitted. 

18. Basel Convention 

Ratification: 26.07.1994 

Compliant with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

Last report submitted on 30.12.2016 (2015 National 
Report). 

19. Convention on 
Biological Diversity 

Ratification: 26.07.1994  

Compliant with reporting obligations  

No reservations 

Latest (Fifth National) Report submitted on 
31.03.2014. 

Sixth National Report is due on 31.12.2018. 

20. UN Framework 
Convention on Climate 
Change 

Ratification: 01.06.1994 

Lack of compliance with reporting obligations 

No reservations 

First National Communication submitted on 

27 

 
 
15.11.2003. 

Subsequent National Communications, to be submitted 
every four years, are missing. 

21. Cartagena Protocol on 
Biosafety 

Ratification: 02.03.2009 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

No reservations 

Last report submitted on 07.09.2016 (ThirdNational 
Report). 

22. Stockholm Convention 

Ratification: 17.04.2008 

Compliant with reporting obligations  

No reservations 

Third Round (2014) National Report submitted on 
22.01.2016.  

23. Kyoto Protocol 

Accession: 11.01.2005 

No reporting obligations 

24. UN Single Convention 
on Narcotic Drugs 

25. UN Convention on 
Psychotropic Substances 

26. UN Convention against 
Illicit Traffic in Narcotic 
Drugs and Psychotropic 
Substances 

27. UN Convention against 
Corruption 

Reviewing is fulfilled by the International Narcotics 
Control Board (INCB). 

No reservations 

Ratification: 09.07.1965 

No reservations 

Accession: 09.06.1977 

No reservations 

Ratification: 25.10.1991 

No reservations 

Ratification: 31.08.2007 

Reviewing is fulfilled by the UN Office on Drugs 
and Crime (UNODC).  

For Pakistan's 1st review cycle, the executive summary 
information was made publicly available on 
04.08.2017. 

28