3,240 Pakistanis still languishing in Saudi jails, FM Qureshi tells NA

ISLAMABAD: A total of 3,240 Pakistani nationals are still languishing in the prisons of Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly on Thursday.

The foreign minister in a written reply during today’s session of the lower house of Parliament said Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the kingdom has been making efforts to secure release of the Pakistani inmates.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said a total of 2,080 Pakistani prisoners were set free by Saudi authorities in the wake of the Saudi crown prince’s announcement in this regard during his Pakistan visit.

Read More: Pakistan tops the list of Umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this season

About the prime minister’s efforts to hel facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, he said the premier emphasised on easing tensions and resolution of all issues between the two regional rivals through diplomatic means.

Prime Minister Imran Khan held meetings with Saudi and Iranian leadership in an effort to patch up the differences between the two.

“We conveyed a message of removing misgivings and resolution of issues,” he said.

Read More: 140 Pakistanis deported from Saudi Arabia

Last year in Oct, the prime minister had undertaken visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia to help facilitate talks between the two countries.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in the Saudi capital Riyadh and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei in Tehran for the purpose.