In-house presentations on Pakistan GSP+ status & Quader Mollah’s execution

An in-house session was held in IPS on 13 December 2013 to discuss two major recent developments concerning Pakistan. The session, which was chaired by DG-IPS Khalid Rahman, was addressed by IPS Lead Coordinator Irfan Shahzad and Research Assistant Hina Habib.

Irfan Shahzad, in his presentation, threw light on the recently awarded Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status to Pakistan by the European Union. He shared an in-depth analysis on the subject, highlighting the significance, benefits and potential of this economic activity for Pakistan. He said that this development was significant, sizeable, but overstated. He termed it as an energy drink for a weakened fellow (economy), but not any turning point.
In the second briefing, Hina Habib presented the background of Abdul Quader Mollah’s execution in Bangladesh. The reasons, inconsistencies, controversies and criticism of this decision were effectively addressed by the presenter.