'Everyone's going home': Jeddah's Pakistani prisoners rejoice as release ordered

JEDDAH: As soon as the news of issuance of a royal decree ordering release of Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi jails reached the inmates, scenes of immense joy were witnessed in the cells, ARY News reported.

In a video acquired by ARY News, a Pakistani inmate in Saudi Arabia can be seen narrating how everyone who had got their names on the release list was rejoicing.

The video is from Jeddah’s Al-Shumaisi Detention Centre, where violators of residency and labour regulations are kept before repatriation to their respective countries.

The narrator can be heard saying: “Everyone’s going home, those who’ve got their names on the list, everyone’s happy”.

The inmates can be seen hugging and congratulating each other on the prospects of seeing their loved ones back home soon.

Earlier in the day, a royal decree was issued from Riyadh, ordering the release of Pakistani prisoners languishing in the prisons of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The royal decree follows on the heels of an assurance by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) to release as many as 2107 Pakistani prisoners on a request by Prime Minister Imran Khan during the former’s two-day visit of Islamabad.

The Saudi foreign ministry has summoned details of the Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in Saudi jails from Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in the kingdom.

The Pakistani embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah have been asked to prepare lists of the Pakistani prisoners and send them to the ministry.