By Sardar Sikander Shaheen
Copyright brecorder
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights has directed two federal ministries to provide the details of all Pakistanis jailed abroad, and the steps taken by the government to protect their rights.
The committee met here on Thursday with Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri in the chair.
The representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior briefed the Senate panel on the situation of Pakistanis imprisoned in jails in foreign countries.
Consular interventions, mission-level engagement, and enhanced screening in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are being undertaken to address the plight of Pakistani nationals, the committee was briefed.
An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) briefed the body on the challenges, including limited prisoner transfer agreements, sovereign restrictions of host states, resource shortages, and gaps in documentation.
An official of the Interior Ministry told the committee that repatriation could only proceed with countries where agreements existed, and confirmed that a limited number of priority transfers have recently been executed.
The committee sought from the two ministries country-wise case lists, clear records of interventions, and evidence of measures taken to safeguard Pakistanis facing prolonged imprisonment abroad.
“Stronger coordination between the Foreign Office, the Interior Ministry, the FIA, and the Federal Ombudsman, alongside improved consular access, systematic case tracking, and transparent reporting on repatriation efforts, is essential to address the issues facing Pakistanis languishing in prisons in different countries,” said Senator Zehri.
The committee also received a detailed briefing from the federal and provincial authorities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh on the reportedly rising incidents of corporal punishment, torture, and sexual abuse in religious seminaries, along with measures taken by the seminary managements and the departments concerned to address the issue.
The committee expressed concern over the absence of effective registration, financial transparency, and access to these institutions.
The panel called for immediate measures, including regular visits to the seminaries by law enforcement and government officials, mandatory parent-teacher engagement, formulation of SOPs (standard operating procedures), banning corporal punishment, teacher training on child protection, and strict compliance with financial registration requirements to ensure accountability of the seminaries.
“The objective is not to target legitimate religious institutions but to eliminate abuse and strengthen the oversight,” she said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
