ISLAMABAD: A total of 7,208 Pakistani prisoners were released from Saudi prisons between 2019 and 2024, according to a written response by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shared in the Senate on Tuesday.
The response came in reply to a query by Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, who sought details regarding the announcement made during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan in 2019 about the release of 2,107 Pakistani prisoners.
During the crown prince’s historic two-day visit in February 2019, it was announced that 2,100 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Saudi jails would be freed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided the following breakdown of released prisoners since the announcement:
- 2019: 545 prisoners
- 2020: 892 prisoners
- 2021: 916 prisoners
- 2022: 1,331 prisoners
- 2023: 1,394 prisoners
- 2024: 2,130 prisoners
Foreign Minister Dar noted that due to the continuous arrival of prisoners and deportations, it is challenging to determine exactly how many benefited from the amnesty.
Among the released prisoners, 4,301 were under the jurisdiction of the Pakistan Consulate General in Jeddah, while 2,907 were under the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh.
Addressing Pakistani Prisoners Abroad
The foreign minister also informed the Senate of ongoing efforts to develop a comprehensive consular policy in consultation with various stakeholders.
As per Dar’s written response, 23,456 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned abroad, with the majority in Gulf countries:
- Saudi Arabia: 12,156
- UAE: 5,292
- Greece: 811
- Qatar: 338
The statement revealed that 7,869 of these detainees are under-trial prisoners.
The plight of Pakistani workers imprisoned in the Middle East remains a sensitive issue, with many believed to be low-income laborers who lack access to adequate legal support. Each year, a large number of Pakistanis migrate to the region for work, primarily in construction and domestic sectors, sending crucial remittances back home to sustain the economy.
Efforts to Improve Consular Protection
In February 2024, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights had urged the foreign ministry to finalize a long-pending “Uniform Consular Protection Policy” within three months. The policy aims to provide systematic support for Pakistani citizens imprisoned abroad.
Foreign ministry officials have committed to gathering the last decade’s data on imprisoned Pakistanis, promising transparency and timely updates on the matter.
