National Assembly reveals major update on Pakistani prisoners abroad

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has shared detailed figures in the National Assembly regarding Pakistani citizens released from foreign prisons over the past year.

According to the data, more than 12,500 Pakistani prisoners were freed from jails across different countries during the last 12 months.

The highest number of releases came from Baghdad, where 4,863 Pakistanis were freed, followed by Jeddah with 1,947. In Kuala Lumpur, 1,650 prisoners were released, while Dubai saw 1,899 Pakistanis regain their freedom.

Other notable figures include 863 releases from Riyadh, 371 from Muscat, and 93 from Moscow. In Istanbul, 30 Pakistanis were released, while 67 were freed from Harare and 18 from New York.

Smaller numbers of releases were also reported from Harris (91), Bangkok (16), and Ankara (125).

Meanwhile, officials informed the House that a total of 21,480 Pakistani nationals remain imprisoned in various countries.

The largest population is in Saudi Arabia, with 10,745 Pakistani prisoners, followed by the UAE with 5,297.

Other countries include Malaysia (448), India (738), Greece (516), China (452), Bahrain (218), Germany (105), Iran (169), the United States (131), and Iraq (81), where Pakistani citizens are currently serving sentences.