The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released details of Pakistani prisoners freed from jails abroad, with the information presented in the National Assembly.
According to the details, more than 12,500 Pakistani prisoners were released from foreign prisons during the past one year. The highest number of releases was reported from Iraq, where 4,863 Pakistanis were freed from prisons in Baghdad.
A total of 1,947 Pakistani prisoners were released from Jeddah, while 1,650 were freed from Kuala Lumpur and 1,899 from Dubai.
The details further showed that 863 Pakistanis were released from Riyadh, 371 from Muscat and 93 from Moscow. In addition, 30 Pakistani prisoners were released from Istanbul, 67 from Harare and 18 from New York City.
The ministry also informed the National Assembly that 91 Pakistani prisoners were released from Harris, 16 from Bangkok and 125 from Ankara.
According to the data, 21,480 Pakistani nationals are currently imprisoned in foreign jails.
The highest number of Pakistani prisoners is in Saudi Arabia, where 10,745 Pakistanis are imprisoned. In United Arab Emirates, 5,297 Pakistanis are detained. The details also stated that Pakistani prisoners are lodged in prisons across several other countries, including 190 in Turkey, 578 in Oman and 601 in Qatar.
Furthermore, 448 Pakistanis are imprisoned in Malaysia, 738 in India, 516 in Greece, 452 in China, 218 in Bahrain, 105 in Germany, 169 in Iran, 131 in the United States and 81 in Iraq.