ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) has confirmed the release of 7,208 Pakistani prisoners from Saudi Arabian jails between 2019 and 2024.
This figure follows an announcement made during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s historic visit to Pakistan in February 2019, where the release of over 2,100 Pakistani nationals was agreed upon.
In a written response to the Senate, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar provided a detailed breakdown of the release figures.
He stated that in 2019, 545 prisoners were freed, followed by 892 in 2020, 916 in 2021, 1,331 in 2022, 1,394 in 2023, and 2,130 in 2024. The minister further noted that, due to ongoing deportations and arrivals, it remains challenging to accurately quantify the total number of individuals who benefited from the amnesty.
Among the released prisoners, 4,301 were under the consular jurisdiction of the Pakistani Consulate General in Jeddah, while 2,907 fell under the jurisdiction of the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh.
The Foreign Minister also addressed the broader issue of Pakistani nationals incarcerated abroad, revealing that approximately 23,456 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned in various foreign countries. The highest number of detainees is in Saudi Arabia (12,156), followed by the UAE (5,292), Greece (811), and Qatar (338). Dar highlighted that the Foreign Ministry is in the process of compiling 10 years’ worth of data on imprisoned Pakistanis for a more comprehensive review.
The release of prisoners is seen as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to improve consular services and the welfare of Pakistani citizens abroad, particularly in the Middle East.
In this regard, the Foreign Ministry is also working on formulating a comprehensive consular protection policy, which is expected to address the legal and welfare challenges faced by Pakistani nationals imprisoned in foreign countries.
