Islamabad, Dubai agree on mechanism for prisoner data swap

Prime Minister's Special Adviser on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfi Bukhari and Dubai police chief Maj Gen Abdullah Khalifa Al Mari in a meeting on Sunday decided to devise a mechanism to share prisoner data for swift repatriation.

The exchange of data is expected to help Islamabad make arrangements for repatriation of prisoners well before they are released, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development tweeted.

During the meeting in Dubai, both sides discussed the number and issues of Pakistani citizens jailed in the emirate, and the provision of facilities to prisoners.

They both agreed to form a joint committee that will pay special attention to the resolution of issues faced by Pakistani prisoners in Dubai, the ministry said in another series of tweets.

It was also decided that arrangements would be made for the repatriation of Pakistanis who have completed their jail terms in Dubai.

According to a 2018 report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 8.8 million Pakistanis languishing in foreign jails.

As per the report, 2,937 Pakistanis are jailed in Saudi Arabia, 1,842 Greece, 582 India, 177 Afghanistan, 242 China, 188 Iran, and 226 in Malaysia.