The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development convened a meeting at the Parliament House to address the growing number of Pakistani citizens incarcerated abroad and evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing government efforts for their welfare and repatriation. The session, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, highlighted discrepancies in official data and called for stronger measures to support overseas nationals facing legal challenges.
During the proceedings, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada revealed that thousands of Pakistanis are serving sentences in foreign prisons, with the highest numbers reported in Saudi Arabia (10,432), the United Arab Emirates (5,297), India (738), Oman (578), Malaysia (463), Greece (598), China (417), and Qatar (422). He criticized the relevant authorities for failing to provide adequate information about the prisoners, stressing the need for greater transparency regarding their cases and repatriation efforts. The Committee was informed that Prisoner Repatriation Agreements have been finalized with 11 countries, while talks are ongoing with 15 others. To improve understanding and response, the Committee recommended the ministry undertake detailed profiling of prisoners to identify the nature of crimes committed.
The role and performance of Community Welfare Attachés (CWAs) stationed abroad were also scrutinized, with senators questioning how frequently these officials engage with imprisoned Pakistanis. Senator Kazim Ali Shah specifically noted that prisoners from the Sindh province had yet to benefit from any welfare services. Responding to these concerns, the Committee decided to implement quarterly performance reviews for CWAs and recommended enabling them to hire members of local Pakistani diasporas in order to extend support services more effectively to prisoners.
Attention also turned to the functionality of Special Courts established to provide legal assistance to Overseas Pakistanis. The Ministry reported that while Punjab has passed the necessary legislation to facilitate such courts, there is still a lack of available data on cases processed and no operational facility for recording evidence. Senator Shahadat Awan urged the Ministry to submit comprehensive details of pending Overseas Pakistanis’ cases within one month.
The Committee was further briefed on initiatives to support Overseas Pakistanis in education and property matters. Officials highlighted the implementation of a five percent quota for Overseas Pakistanis in educational institutions, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission and other bodies. Efforts are also underway to resolve property disputes, with a pilot project being launched at the London Embassy in cooperation with the Punjab Land Record Authority. The Committee recommended that this facility be expanded to include Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The meeting was attended by Senators Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Gurdeep Singh, Shahadat Awan, Khalida Ateeb, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, and senior officials from the ministries and concerned departments.
