Between 2019 and 2024, Saudi Arabia released 7,208 inmates from Pakistan, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the Senate on Tuesday.
The release of Pakistani inmates was demanded by then-prime minister Imran Khan during the February 2019 visit of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to Pakistan. The crown prince authorized the release of numerous Pakistani inmates a few days after the landmark visit.
Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, informed the parliament’s upper house in a written response Wednesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with stakeholders to draft a comprehensive consular policy for Pakistanis detained in foreign prisons.
