Foreign Ministry Reports Over 21,000 Pakistani Citizens Detained Abroa

Foreign Ministry Reports Over 21,000 Pakistani Citizens Detained Abroad

A written reply to the National Assembly shows 21,647 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned in 72 countries worldwide.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 20, 2026 · 10:32 AM 1 min read

Key takeaways

A total of 21,647 Pakistani citizens are held in prisons across 72 countries.

The United Arab Emirates holds 5,297 Pakistani prisoners, the highest of any nation.

Saudi Arabia imprisons 4,775 Pakistani nationals, and India holds 738.

Foreign courts have sentenced 8,569 of the detained Pakistanis, while over 13,000 face ongoing trials.

A written response submitted to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that 21,647 Pakistani citizens are currently held in prisons across 72 countries.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presented these statistics during Question Hour while answering an inquiry regarding Pakistani nationals detained in foreign correctional facilities.

Holding the highest total, the United Arab Emirates imprisons 5,297 Pakistanis, followed closely by Saudi Arabia with 4,775 citizens behind bars. The ministry also noted that Indian facilities house 738 Pakistani nationals.

Foreign courts have already convicted 8,569 of these detained individuals, while more than 13,000 others await the conclusion of their ongoing trials across various nations.

The detainees face numerous criminal accusations, such as fraud, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and using forged paperwork.

Despite providing these totals, the ministry did not publish specific figures detailing the types of charges filed against prisoners in each individual nation.

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