Deputy PM tells NA that 570 prisoners will be repatriated under an agreement.
A total of 19,997 Pakistanis are imprisoned in various countries worldwide, with half of them detained in Saudi Arabia for various crimes.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar, speaking during the question break in the National Assembly on Wednesday, revealed, “The number of Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for various crimes stands at 10,279.”
According to foreign ministry data, based on reports from 88 Pakistani missions, 19,997 Pakistanis are currently held in foreign jails.
Discussing the repatriation process, Dar stated that emergency travel documents are issued to prisoners whose passports have expired after completing their sentences.
“The Pakistani community pays the fines imposed on prisoners who have completed their sentences,” Dar said, adding, “There is no obstacle in repatriating prisoners to Pakistan.”
Dar further mentioned that Saudi Arabia has agreed to transfer 570 prisoners to Pakistan under an agreement.
The data revealed that 68 Pakistanis are on death row in various countries for charges such as terrorism, murder, and drug trafficking.
The highest number of Pakistani prisoners is in Saudi Arabia, followed by 5,292 in the UAE, 598 in Greece, 578 in Oman, 463 in Malaysia, 387 in Turkey, 371 in Bahrain, 321 in the UK, 384 across different cities in China, and others.
The charges include illegal immigration, overstaying visas, murder, drug use or smuggling, working without a permit, sexual harassment, human trafficking, kidnapping, fraud, forgery, counterfeit currency possession, money laundering, espionage, illegal firearms possession, cybercrime, and physical assault.
