The National Assembly was informed on Monday that a total of 15,953 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned across 24 countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with the majority—over 10,000—in Saudi Arabia’s jails.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presented a detailed written report listing the number of Pakistanis detained abroad. The report stated that Saudi Arabia tops the list with 10,279 Pakistani inmates, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 3,523. Bahrain holds 581 Pakistanis, while Qatar has 599 in detention.
The data also showed that 459 Pakistanis are imprisoned in Malaysia, 81 in Iraq, 252 in Oman, and 50 in Kuwait. The crimes for which these individuals are jailed were not specified in the Assembly session, but such cases often include immigration violations, drug-related offences, and financial disputes.
Ishaq Dar informed lawmakers that Pakistan has prisoner exchange agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, which allow some detainees to serve their remaining sentences in Pakistan. However, no such agreements exist with 21 other countries where Pakistani citizens are incarcerated, limiting the government’s ability to secure their repatriation.
The figures underscore the scale of overseas imprisonment facing Pakistani nationals and point to the importance of expanding diplomatic arrangements to ensure the rights and welfare of citizens abroad.