17,000 cases uncovered of overseas Pakistanis in legal turmoil

ISLAMABAD: Over 17,000 unresolved cases involving Pakistanis living abroad have surfaced, the Hum Investigation Team (HIT) uncovered.

According to findings by our investigation team, these cases span a spectrum of legal proceedings, including filings with courts, police, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The data available to the Hum Investigation Team reveals that Lahore accounted for 2,213 cases, while Karachi saw 2,189 cases, with an additional 5487 complaints registered by Pakistanis residing in Saudi Arabia.

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In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 4,879 applications were lodged with local courts and the FIA. Most of these cases are regarding fraud, cheating, and financial discrepancies that amount to a total of Rs320 billion. Almost 80 per cent of these complaints were linked to the real estate sector.

The date further shows that over 7,000 cases were initiated in various courts of Punjab within the specified timeframe, with Sindh High Court (SHC) receiving 2,400 applications and courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) addressing over 600 cases.

Despite 5,000 complaints filed through the Pakistan Citizen Portal, issues were not resolved, alongside 3,200 requests for assistance from Pakistanis incarcerated abroad.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) said that the organisation has taken efforts to address these issues. The spokesperson said that dedicated courts for overseas Pakistanis are beign established at both the provincial and federal level. Specialised cells have been set up in high courts and local courts to “streamline” proceedings.

The spokesperson also stated that The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation has been actively providing legal aid to Pakistani nationals detained overseas, resulting in the release of 4,000 prisoners over the past three years.

Meanwhile, the authorities said that NAB, FIA, local police, and anti-corruption agencies with the country were ‘prioritising’ the cases involving overseas Pakistanis.