Fragile, handle with care Iftikhar Ahmad The discussion in the European Parliament with regards to Pakistan was not positive, nor was it fair. The issue of the country’s blasphemy laws was brought up by Member of European Parliament (MEP) Charlie Weimars of Sweden, who has been linked to Islamophobic and racist organisations in the past. The concern over false allegations of blasphemy combined with the singular focus on Pakistan’s human rights issues hardly appears to be in good faith and taste. However, the fact that the EU resolution – calling for a review of trade ties, including our GSP+ status – passed overwhelmingly reflects a failure in Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach. While embarrassing, the situation is not as bad as it seems. The EU is mandated to review Pakistan’s human rights progress every two years under GSP+ anyway. Now is the time for the government to build better communication systems and engage in active lobbying in Europe to motivate them of our viewpoint.