ISLAMABAD (APP) - Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday directed to withdraw most of the reservations expressed by the Government of Pakistan on InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT). The Prime Minister gave this direction after chairing an Inter-Ministerial meeting convened for discussing the ratification of ICCPR and UN Convention against Torture here. It may be mentioned that the European Union had conveyed that these reservations had made Pakistan ineligible for the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status to be accorded in 2014 by the European Union. To settle the issue, the Prime Minister chaired an Inter-Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday. After detailed discussions, it was decided to withdraw the reservations on Articles 6, 7, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 40 of ICCPR. The reservation on Article 3 was narrowed down to Personal Law and Law of Evidence, and reservation on Article 25 was restricted to the election of the President of Pakistan. On the Convention against UNCAT, it was decided to withdraw reservations on Articles 3, 4, 6, 12, 13 and 16. The reservation on Article 8 was retained. The declarations on Article 20 as provided in Article 28 (1) and Article 30 (1) were also retained. A grant of GSP Plus status will entitle Pakistan to avail of multiple trade concessions privileges and enhanced trade activities with European Union. The policy decision led by the Prime Minister is expected to enhance Pakistans exports manifold. Earlier on June 22, 2010, the Cabinet had ratified two Conventions, the ICCPR and UNCAT, subject to 9 reservations in ICCPR and 10 reservations in UNCAT. The European Union through its emissaries had conveyed that the reservations made by the government regarding ICCPR and UNCAT nullify the impact of ratification of these two International Conventions by the Government of Pakistan. Accordingly, an Inter-ministerial meeting of representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Law, Justice, Minorities, Interior and Religious Affairs discussed the issue on June 10, 2011 with Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Human Rights in the chair. The aim of the meeting was to deliberate upon the reservations which would jeopardise the status of grant of trade benefits to Pakistan under the GSP Plus Scheme of the European Union. The key reservations were however, still in place after this meeting.