ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development instructed the authorities concerned on Wednesday to expedite negotiations and finalise prisoner transfer agreements to facilitate the repatriation of Pakistani nationals, allowing them to serve their sentences in their home country.
The Senate panel also sought a detailed report on individuals incarcerated in foreign countries due to unpaid fines. The committee meeting, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, discussed issues related to consular services provided to Pakistanis imprisoned in various countries, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Oman, with a specific focus on policies and joint initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Community Welfare Attachés.
Director general MoFA briefed the committee on the finalisation of agreements with 11 countries, including the UAE, Turkey, Azerbaijan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Iran and South Korea. He informed that the transfer of active prisoners was currently under way.
Emphasising the need for providing adequate legal representation and impartial translators for detainees, Senator Khanzada directed the Community Welfare Attachés to ensure these provisions.
Regarding prisoners in Saudi Arabia, the committee was told that 900 individuals had been interviewed, and the national status of 400 had been verified through the Ministry of Interior for their transfer to the country.
Senator Faisal Vawda pledged to assist orphans, widows, and elderly prisoners, proposing to advocate for pardons where applicable. The committee chairman, Senator Khanzada, endorsed this initiative and extended his full support.
The committee was also informed that approximately 5,000 Pakistanis were currently detained across the West Bank, with the majority convicted of drug-related offenses.
While acknowledging the efforts of Community Welfare Attachés (CWAs), the committee recommended that the secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) take up the issue of procuring biometric machines for CWAs stationed at various missions. These machines would facilitate detainees in renewing their passports and CNICs, enabling them to file appeals where applicable.
In response to a query from Senator Khanzada, the committee was informed about the clemency process, noting that in Oman, pardons for long-serving prisoners were granted only on national holidays. The committee also sought a detailed report on the funds allocated and utilised over the past two years for the payment of fines on behalf of detained Pakistanis across various missions. The meeting concluded with a discussion on the confiscation of passports upon arrival of Pakistani Zaireen travelling to Iraq, which had caused significant difficulties and humiliation at the hands of Iraqi immigration authorities.
The secretary of OP&HRD ministry briefed the committee on the steps taken thus far to address the matter. At this juncture, Senator Khanzada said he would approach the chairman Senate to nominate Senator Raja Nasir Abbas as the focal person for this issue. The meeting was attended by Senators Shahadat Awan, Gurdeep Singh, Faisal Vawda, Raja Nasir Abbas, as well as senior officials from the OP&HRD ministry and Community Welfare Attachés.
