634 Pakistanis in jails of South Asian countries

islamabadn —n Advisern ton then Primen Ministern onn Foreignn Affairs,nSartajnAziz,nonnWednesdayn saidn thatn 634n Pakistanisn weren detainedn inn jailsn ofn Southn Asiann countriesnforncommittingndifferentnoffences.

Sartajn toldn then Nationaln Assemblyn thatn 242n Pakistanisn aren detainedn inn Afghanistan,n 42n inn Bangladesh,n231ninnIndia,n28ninn Nepal,n82ninnSrinLankanandnninen innMaldives.

Hen saidn then prisonersn inn Afghanistann haven beenn detainedn onnthenchargesnofntheft,noverstayn andnscufflesnwhileninnIndianduenton mistakenlyn crossingn then bordern andnoverstay.

Hen saidn then numbern mentionedn inn then replyn pertainsn ton alln categoriesn ofn offencesn andn Pakistanin missionsn inn then respectiven countriesn extendn alln possiblen legaln andn counselorn assistancen ton detainedn Pakistanisn forn theirn releasen andn repatriation.n

Then diplomaticn missions’n officialsn abroadn undertaken regularn visitsn ton then prisonersn andn detaineesnandnservicesnofnPakistann CommunitynWelfarenandnEducationnFundnarenalsonutilisednwheren necessaryn ton extendn legaln assistancen ton Pakistanisn detainedn abroad,nhenadded.

Hen saidn then missionsn abroadn alson facilitaten Pakistanin prisonersn withn paymentn ofn lawyer’sn fees,n finesn andn costn ofn repatriationnofndestitutenPakistanndetaineesnandnprisoners,nuponncompletionnofnsentencesnornreleasenfromn detention.

Answeringn anothern question,n Sartajn saidn theren isn an largen Muslimn diasporan includingn fromn Pakistann inn Europeann countriesn whon settledn theren sincen 1950sn andnmostnofnthemntracentheirnoriginntonthenformernEuropeanncoloniesninnAfricanandnAsia.n—nAPP

The diplomatic missions’ officials abroad undertake regular visits to the prisoners and detainees

Sartaj Aziz