In a significant development, 56 Pakistani prisoners, including five women and 51 men, were repatriated from Sri Lanka on Monday, arriving in Pakistan via a specially chartered flight. The initiative was part of an agreement between the two nations, made during high-level meetings between Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, and Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner, Admiral (r) Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne, held in May and July this year.
The returning prisoners, who had spent several years in Sri Lankan jails, expressed deep gratitude to Interior Minister Naqvi and Privatisation Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, who personally covered the expenses related to their return. An elderly woman among the repatriated prisoners shared her appreciation, saying, “Thank you for bringing us back to Pakistan. Your kindness will never be forgotten.”
Another prisoner echoed similar sentiments, thanking the ministers for their efforts: “We are thankful to Mohsin Naqvi and Abdul Aleem Khan for bringing us back home. We were in difficult conditions, but thankfully, we are back.”
Interior Minister Naqvi praised the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government and High Commissioner Wijegunaratne, highlighting their role in ensuring the successful return of the prisoners. He also expressed his gratitude to Minister Abdul Aleem Khan for his financial support in the repatriation process.
This development follows an earlier call by Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, which revealed that over 23,456 Pakistani nationals are imprisoned abroad, with most cases in Gulf countries. The committee has urged the foreign ministry to implement a ‘Uniform Consular Protection Policy’ within three months to protect the rights of Pakistani citizens incarcerated abroad.
