ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Friday assured Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah of all-possible efforts for the release of Pakistanis languishing in Saudi jails.
During the meeting with the minister, the envoy also discussed matters of mutual interest including bilateral relations between the two nations, according to a news release. The meeting also reviewed progress on an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for ‘Road to Makkah’ project. Both the dignitaries agreed to finalise the agreement at the earliest possible time for facilitating Pakistani Hajj pilgrims. The Pakistani pilgrims would be provided easy and hassle-free immigration facility under the project which is being launched from Islamabad Airport. As many as 40,000 pilgrims will benefit from the project this year. The interior minister said that the project would be extended to other major cities soon to benefit more pilgrims.
He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had historical, longstanding and brotherly relations. The people of Pakistan have special devotion and love for Khadim Al-Haramain Al-Sharifain (custodian of the two holy mosques), he said. The interior minister lauded the efforts of the Saudi ambassador for further strengthening bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.
According to the recent estimates, around 15,000 Pakistanis are languishing in foreign jails. The government is in an agreement with Sri Lankan and Saudi Arabian authorities for exchange of prisoners.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia freed hundreds of Pakistani workers languishing in Saudi jails as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “ordered the immediate release of 2,107 Pakistani prisoners,” after a request by then prime minister Imran Khan.
Huge numbers of Pakistanis travel to the Middle East every year, with many working on construction sites or as domestic helpers. The remittances they send back are vital for the Pakistani economy. The fate of thousands of Pakistani workers locked up in jails across the Middle East is a sensitive issue in Pakistan as the prisoners are mostly poor labourers who have no real legal recourse.