Saudi Arabia released a total of 7,208 Pakistani prisoners between 2019 and 2024, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar informed the Senate on Tuesday.
During Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan in February 2019, then Prime Minister Imran Khan requested the release of Pakistani prisoners. Days after the historic visit, the crown prince ordered the release of a large number of Pakistani detainees.
In a written response, Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, informed the upper house of parliament that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is formulating a comprehensive consular policy for Pakistanis imprisoned in foreign jails through consultations with stakeholders.
He further stated that while the policy is under development, Pakistan continues to safeguard its citizens abroad through established international mechanisms.
“Our consular officers visit Pakistani nationals in foreign jails or detention centers and arrange legal representation for them,” the foreign minister explained.
Sharing details of the released prisoners, Dar revealed that 545 prisoners were freed in 2019, 892 in 2020, 916 in 2021, 1,331 in 2022, 1,394 in 2023, and 2,130 in 2024.
He also noted the difficulty in determining the exact number of prisoners released from foreign jails due to the continuous influx of inmates. At present, over 23,456 Pakistani nationals are incarcerated in various countries globally.
He further disclosed that Saudi Arabia has 12,156 Pakistani prisoners, the UAE has 5,292, Greece has 811, and Qatar has 338. It is important to highlight that most of these prisoners had settled illegally in foreign countries, while others were detained for minor offenses.
