More than 21,600 Pakistani citizens are imprisoned in 72 countries, the National Assembly was informed on Monday. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shared the figures in a written response during Question Hour.
According to the Foreign Ministry, a total of 21,647 Pakistanis are currently held in prisons abroad. The figures were submitted in response to a question raised in the lower house of Parliament.
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The United Arab Emirates holds the highest number of Pakistani prisoners, with 5,297 citizens behind bars. Saudi Arabia ranks second, with 4,775 Pakistani nationals imprisoned in the kingdom.
India holds 738 Pakistani prisoners, according to the ministry’s figures. The response provided details about the number of Pakistani citizens detained in foreign prisons.
The Foreign Ministry also outlined the types of charges faced by Pakistani prisoners overseas. These include fraud, drug trafficking, sexual assault, and the use of forged visas or other documents.
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Some Pakistani citizens abroad also face murder charges and allegations involving other criminal offences. However, the parliamentary response did not provide country-by-country details of the charges or the number of prisoners facing each offence.
The figures highlight the large number of Pakistani nationals held in foreign prisons. The information was presented to lawmakers through the foreign minister’s written response, providing an overview of overseas detentions and the countries holding the largest numbers of Pakistani prisoners.