“These prisoners, detained on charges of petty crimes, have already served the jail terms handed down by Saudi courts,” the ambassador said.
Referring to his two-hour meeting with Prince Naif in Jeddah on Tuesday night, Alisherzai said the talks covered a range of important subjects, including cooperation in the fields of security, counterterrorism and organized crime. A proposal to set up “a consultative panel representing officials of the ministries of interior of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan” was also discussed, he added.
Asked about the release of Pakistani prisoners, he said that Prince Naif has pledged to provide all support in this regard. “I was also assured that the Ministry of Interior will look into the case of a Pakistani investor, Aliuddin Hussain, who has been in jail for the last three to four years,” Alisherzai added.
He said that Hussain, who owned and operated a SR25 million lubricant business, was allegedly framed by his sponsor.
More than 1,200 Pakistanis are currently serving jail terms in Saudi prisons for different crimes.
In fact, a total of 6,431 Pakistanis are currently in jails in several countries including the United Arab Emirates and India.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis had also requested the government of Pakistan to help solve the cases and at least help arrange the release of innocent people or those detained on minor crimes.
Out of 6,431 Pakistanis, 5,122 have been convicted and 1,201 are to go on trial. “But, there are some Pakistani nationals who are languishing in Saudi jails without trial — a matter which was also brought to the attention of Prince Naif during my meeting,” said the Pakistani diplomat.
“The talks with Prince Naif also focused on other matters of mutual interest including opportunities for employment of Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia,” said Ayaz Mohammed Khan, the mission’s deputy chief.
On several occasions in the past, Saudi officials have come forward to extend support on such crucial issues, especially in genuine cases, he added.
To this end, he noted that Saudi Arabia recently freed five Pakistanis who were wrongly implicated in a narcotics case.
The Pakistanis were freed after the arrest of the real culprits who had placed narcotics in the victims’ belongings before they boarded a flight to Saudi Arabia. The accused were arrested in Pakistan.
Growing ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have augured well for future cooperation between the two countries, said the diplomats. They also highlighted growing links between the two nations. This includes the imminent arrival in the Kingdom of 3,800 medical doctors.
In addition, the Saudi government has donated land in Baha and Najran for the construction of Pakistani schools. They, while assuring all support on behalf of Pakistani embassy, called on Pakistanis to work hard and respect local laws. Pakistani missions in the Kingdom serve over 1.2 million Pakistanis.
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