The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs was informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that there are currently 29,065 Pakistani prisoners held in foreign jails, with over 18,500 of them located in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Irfanul Haq Siddiqui, expressed disappointment over the absence of heads from key institutions, including the Foreign Service Academy, Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), and Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS), who were expected to brief the committee. Siddiqui directed that the briefings for these institutions be rescheduled to the next meeting to ensure their participation.
During the review, the committee examined details of Pakistani prisoners abroad, including their names, crimes, duration of imprisonment, and the government’s efforts for their release. Siddiqui requested information on the correspondence with foreign governments, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, regarding the prisoners’ release.
Committee members emphasized that the parliament is the supreme institution and that institutional heads must attend committee briefings. Sherry Rehman stressed the importance of the committee and suggested that if the relevant minister could not attend, the ministry secretary should have been present. Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar asserted that institutions should not disregard parliamentary procedures.
Foreign Ministry officials informed the committee that most of the prisoners were individuals who had illegally settled in foreign countries. They also noted that detailed information about the prisoners could not be disclosed until complete documentation was received. The committee was told that there are 29,065 prisoners, with over 18,500 held in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Kakar and Sherry Rehman noted that many of the imprisoned Pakistanis were detained for minor offenses. Sherry emphasized that it is the duty of Pakistani embassies and consulates to address the issues faced by Pakistanis abroad. Senators Atta-ur-Rehman, Rubina Qaim Khani, and Abdul Qadir also attended the meeting.
