Islamabad: It has been revealed in the National Assembly that more than 21,000 Pakistanis are currently held in prisons abroad. Details regarding Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in various countries around the world were presented before the National Assembly.

In a written response to a question posed by Tahira Aurangzeb, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar informed the House that there are currently 21,647 Pakistani prisoners across 72 countries; of these, 13,078 are awaiting trial, while 8,569 have been convicted.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these Pakistani prisoners are involved in various cases, including fraud, drug trafficking, sexual assault, the use of forged visas and documents, and murder.

The highest number of prisoners—10,745—are in Saudi Arabia, with 5,445 held in Jeddah and 5,300 in Riyadh. The United Arab Emirates ranks second, with 5,297 Pakistanis imprisoned there.