Over 10,000 Pakistanis in Saudi jails, NA told

Ministry says plans are underway to facilitate return of 400 prisoners

ISLAMABAD:

A total of 10,279 Pakistanis are currently detained in Saudi Arabia, with 5,341 held in Riyadh and 4,848 in various cities across Jeddah, according to details presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The ministry also informed the House that over the past three years, 253 Pakistani prisoners had been released from Saudi jails. The releases were made possible through the efforts of philanthropists.

Documents shared by the ministry revealed that the Pakistani detainees were involved in 18 different types of criminal activities. The most common crimes include border security violations, drug trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, murder and smuggling.

Furthermore, the ministry disclosed that discussions had taken place with Saudi authorities to facilitate the return of 400 Pakistani prisoners to their home country. Efforts are ongoing to coordinate the logistics of this transfer, the NA was told.