The Hindu : E.U. blocks trade pact with Pak.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 10, 2003

International

International

E.U. blocks trade pact with Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Nov. 9. In yet another setback for Pakistan in its efforts to convince the west on restoration of democracy, the European Union has decided to block approval of third generation trade and co-operation agreement. The decision comes close on the heels of the visit of the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, to Brussels to convince the E.U. for early ratification of the pact.

In September, the Commonwealth had declined to lift the suspension of Pakistan from its Council of Members on the ground that transfer of power from the military to the civilian set up was not complete. The E.U. rapporteur, John Walls Cushnahan, has been quoted as saying in Brussels that "serious incidents such as Javed Hashmi's arrest make it extremely difficult to make progress on the approval of the Third Generation Trade and Co-operation Agreement (with Pakistan)". The senior Pakistan political leader and President of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) was detained on charges of defaming the military the very day a E.U. team was here for a first hand assessment of the situation.

In a written statement Mr. Cushnahan has said, "The arrest of Javed Hashmi, leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, calls into question the extent to which there is any real transfer of power from the military to the civilian administration".

Mr. Cushnahan said, "In my meetings in Brussels with Minister Mr. Kasuri, I raised the recent controversy surrounding the arrest of Mr. Hashmi, leader of the parliamentary Opposition, which occurred during our visit to Pakistan.

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