EDITORIAL: It is a staggering statistic. As many as 23,456 Pakistanis are behind bars in other countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed a recent session of the National Assembly. The disclosure highlights the vulnerability of Pakistani nationals abroad.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of these people are concentrated in the Gulf region, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for 12,156 and 5,292 incarcerated Pakistanis, respectively. Other countries with significant numbers include more Arab states, several Western countries as well as China, which is reflective of the extensive migration patterns of Pakistanis seeking better economic opportunities elsewhere in the world.
They face all kinds of charges, including illegal immigration, drug trafficking, theft, sexual harassment and a host of other serious offences. According to press reports, 68 Pakistanis are currently on the death row in 10 countries.
Several factors contribute to the plight of these prisoners. Many among them, especially working class individuals get into trouble because of unfamiliarity with the host countries’ cultural norms and laws. More often than not, they lack access to proper legal representation as well as basic consular assistance, and their situation further exacerbated by language barriers.
Many thus languish in jails for prolonged periods, left at the mercy of circumstances and subjected to harsh treatment. A serious issue of human rights concern, it is also closely linked to the broader question of migrant workers’ welfare. Our economy relies heavily on their remittances yet the system has little interest in addressing their problems.
During the NA question-hour session, the foreign ministry said that it had implemented a comprehensive strategy to support Pakistani nationals imprisoned abroad, particularly focusing on those detained for minor or non-criminal offences.
It also claimed to pay regular consular visits to detention facilities, verification of conditions and treatment of prisoners besides supplying them with essential items where permissible under host countries’ regulations. Many would take these claims with a pinch of salt.
To be fair, though, the government has initiated some positive measures and implemented them too. Prisoner Transfer Agreements have been signed with 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the UK, facilitating repatriation of prisoners so they can serve their sentences in Pakistan.
That paved the way during 2019 and 2024, for the return home of 7,200 detainees from Saudi Arabia. But the government also needs to expand consular services in countries with high numbers of Pakistani prisoners. Safeguarding the rights and well-being of all our citizens, whosoever and wherever they may be, calls for sustained efforts.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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