Senate Body Deliberates On Increasing Number Of Pakistanis Prisoners Abroad

The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development on Friday deliberated on the increasing number of Pakistani prisoners abroad

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jul, 2025) The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development on Friday deliberated on the increasing number of Pakistani prisoners abroad.

The meeting was chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada and revealed shocking details regarding Pakistani prisoners abroad and criticized the officials for providing inadequate information concerning these individuals, said a press release.

According to data from the ministry, approximately 417 prisoners are serving sentences in China, 598 in Greece, 463 in Malaysia, 738 in India, 578 in Oman, 422 in Qatar, 10,432 in Saudi Arabia, and 5,297 in the UAE, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada highlighted. He remarked that the data reflects the ministry's efforts toward the repatriation of prisoners.

Officials apprised the committee that Prisoner Repatriation Agreements have been finalized with 11 countries, while discussions are ongoing with 15 others.

The committee recommended that the ministry provide detailed profiling of the prisoners to understand the nature of the crimes committed. It also inquired from the Community Welfare Attachés (CWAs) about how frequently they meet with the prisoners.

Senator Kazim Ali Shah pointed out that no welfare services have been extended to prisoners from the Sindh province. The committee decided to review the quarterly performance of the Community Welfare Attachés and recommended allowing them to hire local diaspora members to more effectively expand welfare services to Pakistani prisoners abroad.

Discussing the performance of Special Courts established to facilitate Overseas Pakistanis, the ministry informed the committee that Punjab has enacted the relevant legislation.

However, Senator Shahadat Awan pointed out that although the Act was passed in 2024, no data has yet been provided regarding the number of cases processed in Punjab or in any other province. He further noted that, despite the claim, no facility for recording evidence has been finalized yet.

The committee recommended that the ministry provide the details of cases related to Overseas Pakistanis pending in the court within one month.

Furthermore, the committee was briefed on the initiatives taken to facilitate Overseas Pakistanis. Officials informed that the ministry, in consultation with the Higher education Commission (HEC) and other educational institutions, has implemented a 5 percent quota in educational institutions.

Officials also highlighted that, in cooperation with the Punjab Land Record Authority, the ministry is launching a pilot project at the London Embassy to help resolve property disputes of Overseas Pakistanis. The committee recommended to extend the same facility to ICT.

In attendance were; Senators Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Gurdeep Singh, Shahadat Awan, Khalida Ateeb, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry along with senior officials from the concerned departments.