'Good news' soon on release of prisoners in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan says

A general view of Ha'er Prison in Saudi Arabia (Reuters/FILE)

• Good news to be announced soon, says foreign office spokesman
• 3,400 Pakistanis currently imprisoned in Saudi jails

ISLAMABAD: Riyadh and Islamabad are “actively” working toward the release of Pakistani prisoners serving time in Saudi prisons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday, rejecting claims by opposition politicians about delays in the process.
Pakistan had announced in February that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the release of about 2,100 Pakistani prisoners from the Kingdom’s jails during a high-profile visit to Islamabad.
“There is no delay; work is actively being done and good news will soon be announced,” foreign office spokesman Dr. Muhammad Faisal said, referring to remarks by opposition parties during a recent parliamentary session.
“The decision was made by the crown prince and the matter is not up for discussion there (Saudi Arabia). Therefore, there is no reason it won’t happen,” Faisal said, adding that official procedure needed to be followed in such matters and took time.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during a parliamentary session that 3,400 Pakistanis were currently imprisoned in Saudi jails according to an official count received from Saudi authorities.
The foreign minister said Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the Kingdom was working with Saudi officials for the release of 2,107 prisoners as ordered by the Saudi crown prince.
The Ministry’s remarks echo last week’s statement by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz who said Pakistan can expect some “good news” regarding the release of Pakistani prisoners from Saudi jails in the month of Ramadan,
“Saudi Crown Prince’s announcement on release of Pakistani in Saudi jails is under process,” the high commission in Jeddah said in a statement emailed to Arab News last Thursday. “In holy month of Ramadan, we expect some good news regarding this announcement.”
At a welcome dinner in his honor held at a local hotel in Jeddah last week, Ejaz described the crown prince’s Pakistan visit as a “major success” that had “started a new era of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan relations.”
He said a number of agreements were signed during that visit, including one on the transfer of prisoners.
“Discussion on the transfer of prisoner agreement is in process and once the agreement is signed, the prisoners will be able to complete the sentences in their respective countries,” the high commission’s statement quoted the ambassador as saying.
The fate of thousands of Pakistani workers locked up in jails across the Middle East is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where there is a perception the prisoners are mostly poor laborers who have no real legal recourse.
Huge numbers of Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East every year, with many working on construction sites or as domestic helpers. The remittances they send back are vital for Pakistan’s dollar-starved economy.