LAHORE: The Lahore High Court yesterday directed the federal government to make policy to provide legal assistance to the Pakistanis detained in foreign jails and to help their relatives access them.

The court also sought report from the federal government that what steps are being taken for the release of Pakistanis arrested in foreign countries and adjourned further hearing for Dec 22.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the LHC heard the case filed by different petitioners. Barrister Sarah Bilal, the counsel of the petitioners, appeared before the court and contended that the relatives are in huge trouble for not having access to their beloved ones in jails of Saudi Arabia and other countries.

She contended that only in Saudi Arabia, 1509 Pakistanis are detained. At the time of arrest, they are not told that why they are being arrested, she further argued. 

A law officer on behalf of the ministry of foreign affairs told the judge that the government always takes steps for the release of any Pakistani arrested and detained in any country.

However, he said, there was no agreement with Saudi government on the exchange of inmates. Saudi government does not have policy to send the dead body of any inmate if he/she is beheaded in jail, he told the court.

An additional secretary of Overseas Pakistanis’ Foundation said that the representative from the Pakistan had access to the inmates in Saudi Arabia. On it, the judge remarked that ‘We cannot interfere into the policy of any state but at least a policy can be made through which the inmates could be provided legal aid and their relatives could have access to them”.

The judge further remarked that ‘apparently, the government does not seem serious on this issue and there is no system to know about the inmates suffering in foreign jails”.  Justice Shah ordered the government to make its policy and submit its report on the next. The court adjourned further hearing for Dec 22.