Saudi Arabia releases 65 more Pakistani prisoners

RIYADH: At least 65 more Pakistani prisoners have been released in Saudi Arabia on the directions of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud on Monday, ARY News reported.

Taking to social networking website, Twitter, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Lieutenant General (retd) Bilal Akbar said that the sentences of 65 prisoners, detained in Riyadh jail for different crimes, have been waived off on the kind direction of the custodian of the two holy mosques.

sentences of 65 persons, detained in Riyadh Jail, have been waived off on kind direction of The Custodian of two holy mosques, His Majesty, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

— bilal akbar (@bilalakbar73) June 21, 2021

The Pakistani nationals will soon be brought back to the country, he added.

Earlier on June 10, the Saudi Arabia government had released 49 more Pakistani prisoners who were languishing in jails in the Kingdom for different crimes.

That had been announced by Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Saudi Arabia Lt Gen (retd) Bilal Akbar. Thanking Pakistani donors, Akbar had said four more cases of “Haq e Khas” had been resolved, referring to money paid in compensation on behalf of the prisoners.

“49 total released since the beginning of Ramadan. 53 still unresolved,” he had said in a tweet.

During Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had signed an agreement on the transfer of convicted prisoners.

Last month, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had shared details regarding the transfer of Pakistani inmates languishing in Saudi jails to the country.