Imran Khan Thanks Saudi Crown Prince for Releasing Thousands of Pakistani Prisoners
ISLAMABAD – Former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday for the release of thousands of Pakistani prisoners, according to his legal counsel.
This acknowledgment follows Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s statement to the Senate, where he disclosed that Saudi Arabia had freed 7,208 Pakistani prisoners between 2019 and 2024. The release of prisoners comes after a request made by then-Prime Minister Khan during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan in February 2019. Shortly after the visit, the Crown Prince ordered the release of a substantial number of Pakistani detainees.
In his Senate briefing, Dar, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, shared that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on a comprehensive consular policy to better support Pakistani citizens imprisoned abroad. This policy is being developed in consultation with various stakeholders. Dar reassured the Senate that Pakistan remains committed to safeguarding its citizens overseas under international frameworks, noting that consular officers regularly visit Pakistani detainees and ensure they receive proper legal representation.
Read More: Saudi-Arabia-Scholarship-Guide
Breakdown of Prisoner Releases
Dar outlined the details of the prisoner releases as follows:
- 545 prisoners in 2019
- 892 prisoners in 2020
- 916 prisoners in 2021
- 1,331 prisoners in 2022
- 1,394 prisoners in 2023
- 2,130 prisoners in 2024
However, Dar acknowledged the difficulty in confirming the total number of freed prisoners due to the continuous arrival of new detainees.
Current Status of Pakistani Nationals Abroad
At present, more than 23,456 Pakistani nationals are serving sentences in various countries. The breakdown of detainees is as follows:
- 12,156 in Saudi Arabia
- 5,292 in the UAE
- 811 in Greece
- 338 in Qatar
Many of these individuals were either detained for minor offenses or had entered foreign countries illegally.
