Saudi Arabia issues royal decree for release of Pakistani prisoners

RIYADH: A royal decree was issued here on Tuesday ordering the release of Pakistani prisoners languishing in the prisons of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ARY News reported.

The royal decree follows on the heels of an assurance by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) to release as many as 2107 Pakistani prisoners on a request by Prime Minister Imran Khan during the former’s two-day visit of Islamabad.

The Saudi foreign ministry has summoned details of the Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in Saudi jails from Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in the kingdom.

The Pakistani embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah have been asked to prepare lists of the Pakistani prisoners and send them to the ministry.

Read Also: Saudi crown prince orders immediate release of 2,107 Pakistani prisoners

Earlier, on Feb 18, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry in a tweet said, “As a sequel to Prime Minister of Pakistan request, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of KSA Mohammad Bin Salman has ordered the immediate release of 2107 Pakistani prisoners Saudi Jails.”

Separately, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his tweet welcomed the move of the crown prince saying, “HRH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has graciously agreed to free 2107 Pakistanis with immediate effect, while rest of the case will be reviewed later,”

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