Senate body for expediting transfer pacts of prisoners

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chairman Zeeshan Khanzada has urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to expedite the finalisation of pending prisoner transfer agreements, allowing Pakistani inmates abroad to serve their remaining sentences in Pakistan under domestic laws.

Chairing a committee meeting here on Thursday, he also requested comprehensive data on Pakistanis imprisoned in Iran, Iraq, and other countries, which will be reviewed in the next session. The meeting focused on key issues including foreign employment opportunities, healthcare access for overseas Pakistanis, and progress on prisoner repatriation agreements.

Responding to queries from Senator Raja Nasir Abbas and Senator Khanzada, officials disclosed that although a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exists with Iraq, no tangible progress has been made. Senator Khanzada expressed concern over the lack of consular and legal support for imprisoned Pakistanis abroad, stating: “Our consular support issue is serious. It hasn’t received proper focus, and we must move forward in this area.”

He inquired whether any prisoner transfers had been hindered due to limited capacity in Pakistani facilities. The Ministry of Interior confirmed that while constraints exist, no transfer has been delayed on this basis. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior briefed the committee on existing agreements with countries including Azerbaijan, China, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the UAE. Repatriations under these agreements have included 14 prisoners from Iran, 27 from Saudi Arabia, 97 from Sri Lanka, and 47 from Thailand. Khanzada emphasized the need to accelerate the finalisation of pending agreements and enhance institutional mechanisms to safeguard the rights of overseas Pakistanis. The committee also addressed longstanding land encroachment cases involving the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), including the recovery of 107 illegally occupied plots in a 30-year-old dispute. A detailed briefing on land and court-related matters will be presented in the next meeting, along with updates on taxation issues with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

The committee was updated on discussions with Belarus to expand employment opportunities for Pakistani workers. Talks are currently at the MoU stage, with recruitment pending confirmation of workforce requirements. The ministry reported no formal demand or skill data from Belarus thus far.

Khanzada highlighted the importance of identifying specific workforce segments engineers or semi-skilled workers and called for clear definitions to streamline visa processes. He noted that both Eastern and Western Europe offer promising job markets and urged the government to strategically leverage these opportunities. Reaffirming his commitment to overseas Pakistanis, he advocated granting them voting rights and proposed extending Sehat Sahulat Program coverage to Pakistani workers abroad and their families back home. He also called for diaspora representation in the Prime Minister’s Task Force for Overseas Pakistanis.

The committee was informed that the Sehat Sahulat Program currently covers over 200 million people across Pakistan, including overseas Pakistanis, with efforts underway to extend it to Sindh. The program provides treatment through partnered hospitals only. Khanzada questioned whether a separate health scheme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would include treatment abroad. The ministry responded that the program is still under development. The committee also reviewed the recent Overseas Pakistani Convention, attended by over 1,200 participants. Eighteen directives were issued by the prime minister, with a task force assigned to develop a comprehensive strategy within a month, focusing on remittances, investment, skilled labour export, and facilitation services.

Discussions were also held on the exemption of duties and withholding tax on mobile phones for overseas Pakistanis. Khanzada reiterated his support for such measures and proposed allowing the import of one used car (up to 1600cc) per overseas Pakistani for personal use.

Senators Gurdeep Singh, Shahadat Awan, Raja Nasir Abbas, and senior officials from relevant ministries and departments attended the meeting.