ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: As many as 4,130 Pakistani prisoners have been released by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to Pakistan in February 2019.
The Saudi Crown Prince His Royal Highness Mohammed Bin Salman paid a two-day visit to Pakistan on February 17-18, 2019 at the invitation of then Prime Minister Imran Khan.
During his visit, Mohammad Bin Salman ordered the immediate release of Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in Saudi Jails following a special request made by Imran Khan to him to look into the hardships of Pakistani labourers working in the Kingdom and to look upon them as your own people.
Replying to a question asked by Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, the Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani told the House on Friday that since the visit of the Saudi Cown Prince, 4,130 Pakistanis – who were incarcerated in Saudi Jails – have so far been released.
The House was further told that in 2019, 545 Pakistanis were released from Saudi jails, 892 in 2020, 916 in 2021, 1,331 in 2022, and 447 in 2023.
The foreign minister however also told that it is difficult to bifurcate/differentiate the number of the prisoners who may have been able to avail this clemency under this announcement due to continuous inflow as well as outflow of the prisoners.
