10,729 Pakistanis languishing in Saudi Arabia jails, NA told

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented details of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi Arabia during the Question Hour in the National Assembly on Wednesday, stating that 10,729 Pakistanis are languishing in various jails of the Kingdom. Out of the total Pakistani prisoners in Saudi jails, 5,431 have been lodged in Riyadh and 4,848 in Jeddah.

The crimes in which they were arrested included drugs, assaulting and stabbing, border security violation, bribery, cybercrimes, financial frauds, forgery, fraud, immoral offences, kidnapping, money-laundering, murder, robbery, state security, smuggling, theft, traffic accident and violation of rules.

The house was informed that these prisoners were convicted by courts of law after proper investigation and fair trial. In case where passport of any prisoner, who has completed his sentence, is expired or lost, emergency travel documents (ETDs) are provided. The Pakistani community members are also engaged to pay fines of those prisoners who have completed their sentences but are unable to be released due to non-payment of rights (private rights and Haq-e-Khas). In this regard, missions in Riyadh and Jeddah have arranged release of 253 prisoners after payment of their penalties/fines amounting to SAR-6,305,589 with the help of Pakistani philanthropists during the last three years. Prisoners are interviewed for taking their consent to transfer them to Pakistan for completion of their remaining sentences in Pakistan under the agreement of transfer of prisoners between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. So far, 570 prisoners have shown their consent and in this regard, data of 400 Pakistanis, who have shown willingness to get transferred to Pakistan, has been shared with the Saudi authorities for further action.

Syed Rafiullah sought details of fishermen imprisoned in Indian jails including the recorded duration of imprisonment for each individual. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a written reply saying that according to a list of Pakistani/believed-to-be Pakistani prisoners and fishermen, shared by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on July 1, 2024, 86 Pakistani fishermen are in Indian jails currently. The reply said that most of them were arrested from 2018 to 2023. In addition to these fishermen, some others are being treated as civil prisoners by the Indian authorities due to the charges of drug-trafficking.

However, the Foreign Ministry report said that according to the information provided by Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi, the total number of Pakistani fishermen in Indian custody could be as high as 334.