Islamabad, Aug 12, 2025: Over 15,000 Pakistani prisoners are currently imprisoned in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries, with Saudi Arabia having the largest share despite an extradition agreement with Pakistan.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 10,289 Pakistanis are imprisoned in Saudi jails, followed by 3,523 in the United Arab Emirates and 50 in Kuwait, all nations with which Islamabad has signed prisoner transfer agreements.
The National Assembly was informed that Gulf states collectively hold the majority of inmates. This includes 581 Pakistanis in Bahrain, 252 in Oman and 599 in Qatar. Smaller figures were reported in Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt that are 81, 8 and 4.
Beyond the Gulf, Pakistani prisoners are also in Southeast and East Asian countries, 469 in Malaysia, 35 in Thailand, 22 in Cambodia, and one each in the Philippines and Vietnam. In the Asia-Pacific region, 27 are in Australia, 7 in South Korea and 16 in Japan.
READ MORE: Pakistanis Imprisoned in 61 Nations, Saudi Arabia Tops List
The ministry also confirmed that 2,100 Pakistanis are serving sentences in 14 countries with no extradition treaty with Pakistan.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said a prisoner repatriation agreement with Riyadh has already allowed 27 Pakistanis to return from Saudi Arabia, with 16 serving the remainder of their sentences in Pakistan.
Pakistani missions remain in regular contact with Saudi authorities, assisting over 4,000 prisoners till May 2025. In the UAE, Islamabad requested the transfer of 77 inmates in June 2025, with 30 cases approved so far.
