Unable to pay diyat: Pakistani driver languishing in Saudi Arabian prison

Family requests Pakistan govt to help them release Zahir Hussain by paying Rs30 million compensation

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani driver, Zahir Hussain, has been languishing in a jail in Saudi Arab since 2013 as his family cannot afford to pay 1.3 million Saudi Riyal as compensation to families of the victims of a road accident.

Hussain, now 30, and father of four went to Saudi Arabia on a work visa as a driver through an Arabian company in August 2013. In the same year, however, four people were killed when his truck collided with a car in Makkah.



According to his brother Pirzada Afridi, the judge of a Saudi court after hearing the case decided that Hussain would be released if he paid compensation to the family. However, he also repeatedly requested families of the deceased’s to forgive Hussain.

“But the affected families refused clemency requests and asked for compensation [diyat or blood money] and the court decided 1.03 million Saudi Riyal – approximately Rs30 million – according to the Article 34/8 of Saudi execution system,” he said.

Afridi said in 2016 his old parents in spite of their bad health went to Saudi Arabia and requested the affected families in the court to forgive Hussain as he and his family did not have the strength to arrange such a huge amount of compensation but they refused.

“That worsened my dad’s heart condition and he passed away last year due to cardiac arrest. My mother’s heart condition has also worsened and we fear the same can happen to her any time,” he said.

Afridi, a resident of Wazir Dand in Tehsil Jamrud of Khyber Agency, has appealed to the government of Pakistan to help his family secure the release his brother Hussain. He said they could understand the sorrow of the affected family but his brother did not do anything intentionally.

“His four children are waiting for him but we cannot secure his release as this is a huge amount of money for us and our entire family cannot afford to pay this,” Afridi told The Express Tribune.



“The only source of income of our entire family is the monthly scholarship for my PhD study and my elder brother Hidayath Ullah’s salary from a high school,” he said. “We do not own any agricultural or commercial land… how can we afford to pay more than 3 crore rupees to the affected families?” he asked.

He requested the Pakistan government to pay the amount to the affected families on behalf of Hussain. “We request right activists, the government of Pakistan and the governor of [K-P] province to help us over his release. It’s a grave violation of the human rights,” he said.