ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has dismissed recent claims about 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims disappearing in Iraq, declaring the matter a myth.
The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Zeeshan Khanzada here at the Parliament House on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Senator Raja Nasir Abbas informed the committee that he personally raised the issue with the Iraqi leadership. “I met the Prime Minister of Iraq, and he called it wrong. I also spoke to the Minister of Religious Affairs of Pakistan, who confirmed it was a mistake,” Senator Abbas clarified. Officials from the Ministry of Interior briefed the committee that only 27 Pakistanis were caught in Iraq, while a total of 30 out of 81 Pakistanis remain under trial.
Senator Raja Nasir Abbas strongly criticised the treatment of Pakistani citizens abroad. “The passports of Pakistanis are kept at airports in various countries including Iraq. This is a great insult to Pakistani citizens, and the government must take notice. Such treatment is not even meted out to Afghan citizens,” he remarked. The ministry officials assured him the matter would be taken up at the highest level.
The committee was also briefed on the status of Pakistani prisoners abroad. Ministry of Interior officials revealed that 21,647 Pakistanis are imprisoned in different countries—with more than 13,000 under trial and over 8,000 convicted.
Zeeshan Khanzada noted the urgency of the situation and stressed institutional coordination.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the committee that following the committee’s instructions, it has decided to form an inter-ministerial committee on prisoners, which will include ambassadors and officials from relevant ministries. “Letters have already been sent to all Pakistani embassies and missions worldwide,” officials stated.
According to the ministry, the initiative will proceed in phases: Phase One will involve meetings with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Phase Two will focus on engagement with Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Phase Three will consist of consultations with the United Kingdom and European Union countries.
The committee was informed that Community Welfare Attachés have begun visiting prisons abroad to meet Pakistani detainees. However, Senator Nasir Butt pointed out gaps, saying, “No one visits Pakistanis imprisoned in jails.” Officials responded that such visits have only recently started.
The panel chairman directed the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to present a full report on the funds allocated for legal and welfare support to imprisoned Pakistanis in the next meeting. “This is the first initiative for details of funds and expenditure and it must be provided,” he emphasised.
On migration issues, officials revealed that there are 294 legal avenues for Pakistanis to travel to European Union countries, with student visas given priority. They noted that nearly 50 percent of Pakistanis going to Italy travel legally, while 50 percent resort to illegal routes. The committee expressed grave concern over reports that many citizens pay as much as Rs7 million to leave Pakistan illegally. “We must improve the system,” committee members urged, while highlighting that “educated youth going abroad are running businesses and contributing significantly.”
The committee chairman also inquired about the arrangements made for the acquisition of the Russian language for visas to Belarus, to which the committee was informed that an agreement is to be finalised with the Allama Iqbal Open University on the 27th of August 2025, through which applicants will be able to take an online course for the Russian language.
Earlier in the meeting, Senator Shahadat Awan recommended providing details on people convicted of smuggling. He said it is seen that 65 percent of cases are drug related and therefore called for a detailed briefing on the smuggling of drugs and relevant cases.
Awan also sought details on special courts across the country established for overseas Pakistanis in a subsequent meeting.
The meeting also marked the participation of PTI’s newly elected Senator Faisal Javed, who put forward his recommendations to brief on Human Resource Development in the country and abroad in subsequent meetings.