Families of men incarcerated in Saudi Arabia demand justice

ISLAMABAD: Haji Abdul Haq, 50, whose son has been in Saudi jail since May 2010, came to the National Press Club (NPC) on Tuesday from Sargodha to appeal the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to secure his son’s release.

Mr Haq told Dawn that his 24-year-old son Mohammad Irfan went to Saudi Arabia through an agent. He alleged that when his son went to the agent in Faisalabad to collect his visa and ticket, he was drugged and his suitcase was filled with drugs.

Know more: Footprints: On the death row in Saudi Arabia

Replying to a question, he said his son took a train from Faisalabad to Karachi from where he had to fly to Riyadh.

“At Riyadh airport, the drugs were discovered in his suit case and he was arrested soon after landing. I filed an application against the agent with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Faisalabad but they declared him innocent,” he said.

“Last year, my wife died hoping for another glimpse of her son. I have filed appeals with different government functionaries to bring my son back, but to no avail,” he said.

Mr Haq requested the prime minister to ensure that his son was tried in Pakistan. There are at least 15,000 Pakistanis on death row - arrested on charges of bringing drugs to Saudi Arabia - in Saudi jails.

Mr Haq was not the only person who came to NPC in a bid to get his grievances heard by the authorities.

Maryam Bibi, 70, who came from Khushab, said her 26-year-old son, Mohammad Sarfraz, was arrested at Jeddah airport in 2014 and drugs were recovered from him.

“Sarfraz has a two-year-old son and six-month-old daughter. He says that his bag was exchanged at airport and he is innocent,” she said.

Ali Raza from 105 Chak Janobi said that his brother Ghulam Mustafa was unemployed and decided to try his luck in Saudi Arabia.

“He sold his wife’s jewellery to pay an agent Rs350,000 to arrange a visa for Saudi Arabia. On May 12, 2010 he flew from Islamabad to Karachi and then on to Jeddah. At Jeddah airport drugs were recovered from his luggage,” he said.

Kalsoom Bibi, 60, from Sargodha said her 40-year-old son, Mohammad Altaf, was arrested in Saudi Arabia on similar charges.

Pir Muhammad from Mardan said that his 22-year-old son, Asmatullah, had been languishing in Saudi jail since last year.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2015

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Comments (19) Closed

Ajmal Muhammad

Mar 04, 2015 06:31am

It is a human issue. What type of a justice system is where 15000 persons are waiting to be executed by beheading. Not a small number! Would Americans have kept silence if these were their citizens. Perhaps one reason for our silence is that they are all poor have nots!

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Sunling

Mar 04, 2015 06:36am

Well, Mr. PM: Your attention is needed here. Are you not representing your nation and its nationals? Shame on you!

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AHMED

Mar 04, 2015 06:49am

Arab terrorists and their taliban servants kill 60,000 Pakistanis, beheading our soldiers captured by them. Arab princes come and kill rare birds for fun in Pakistan. Just one Arab government has 15,000 poor immigrants on death row for supposedly bringing drugs used by Arab. It is about time the Arabs were put in their place by retaliating - publicly executing Arab terrorists rather than letting them out of the country. Arresting Arab princes the moment they land on Pakistani soil to hunt rare birds flouting Pakistani law. And telling Saudi Arabia to either set the imprisoned Pakistanis free or else get prepared to be taken over (along with their precious oil fields) by Pakistani forces.

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IKE

Mar 04, 2015 06:54am

Problem is with the Government of Pakistan, the customs and the Airport staff. How did these men get through the system and boarded the plane? Every incidence should be tracked back to the airport personnel and they should be arrested and tried. Put them in jail for rest of their lives. Things will get better.

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IBN E ASHFAQUE

Mar 04, 2015 07:21am

Poverty is written on the faces of these people they definitely cannot get justice in democratic Pakistan.

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Zubair

Mar 04, 2015 07:50am

PM Nawaz Sharif must talk to Saudi Authorities during his visit to Saudi Arabia for the release of these miscommunicated and I'll fated persons. They need to be forgiven. Ask them to forgive so that they be forgiven.ALLAH who is Supreme forgives those who forgive.

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Silent Majority

Mar 04, 2015 08:04am

The are emerging as the biggest enemies of Pakistan. If it's spreading wahabism, extremism, illegal hunting, human trafficking and treating our people like animals, providing shelter to corrupt leaders and lost goes on

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Azi

Mar 04, 2015 08:08am

15,000 Pakistanis on death row, even if we for once consider this ludicrous number due to drug smuggling, how many Saudis (the recipients) are on death row? Has to be definitely more than or equal to 15,000. As far as PM goes, as long as he doesn't get a cut out for his many businesses by saving these people's lives, don't expect any help. If anything, he'll not only sell out country's rare wildlife banned for hunt to the trigger happy saudi princes but also dump more and more people to saudi control so he doesnt have to deal with any real job as a PM. PMNL supporters, you people are one of a kind, never ever realizing what or whom you promote to be your leader.

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dvk

Mar 04, 2015 08:47am

The number of prisoners is too big. Many of them innocent or victims of some racket.

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SAAB93

Mar 04, 2015 09:04am

This is called Dead Governance. Rule of deaf, dumb and blind. Unprofessional, Incompetent and corrupt management with zero accountability.

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khob

Mar 04, 2015 09:08am

Pakistan could not put 15 Saudis behind bars and there are "at least 1500o" languishing in their jails on death row. No justice, no fair trial, no defense and this government or any of the past governments had the courage to stand up for its citizens and to make sure that they receive a fair trial which probably would never happen in the land of their Masters. Mr. Sharif is the representative of the government of Saudi Arabia making sure their interests are protected and he happens to be the prime minister of this cursed land.

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ttpak

Mar 04, 2015 09:37am

How can they get away from islamabad n karachi.....ppp n pml both have corrupt ppl sitting on high sensitive positions minting money every second.... why not they undergo any investigation n charges.....these are the real culprits damaging the image of pakistan. any such person should not Not be able to clear security before he gets on plane...

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alfatmi

Mar 04, 2015 09:39am

The number of drug smuggling cases involving Pakistanis have significantly risen over the last 5 years. It's obvious that there are no checks & controls at our airports & the custom & FIA officials are in-cahoots with the drug barons.

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Jalal

Mar 04, 2015 09:54am

There is a simple way to stop this menace, check all the luggage thoroughly in Pakistan International Airports before boarding to air craft especially belonging the one traveling first time on employment visa.

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NORI

Mar 04, 2015 10:01am

Truly brotherly treatment from Saudis!! No reaction from powerful army chief, powerless PM and ever shouting Mullahs.....

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shahaab

Mar 04, 2015 11:54am

@AHMED Saudis have implemented the sharia law,beheading is among the least painful yet among the most graphic of executions. this is how execution is prescribed in Islam and practiced since Prophet days... 60,000 Pakistani were killed by proxy wars being carried through Pak by Russian,American,Indian and Isreali Agencies.They produced 'Pakistani so-called Taliban'. Throwing the blame to Arabs is certainly a dirty game of sectarianism.

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shahaab

Mar 04, 2015 12:03pm

@Silent Majority what i read about the "wahabbism" is nothing but Qur'an and Sunnah. so you considering Qur'an and Sunnah your enemy or else? want your response !!

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muhammad

Mar 04, 2015 01:04pm

@shahaab yeah Sharia Law for only pakistani. your kind of people are killing innocent people in the name of your kind of Islam. they don't want to investigate either these people are innocent or not. Because killing is easy job to do.

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Muhammad Khalid Ashraf

Mar 04, 2015 03:04pm

The figure of 15000 Pakistanis involved in drug trafficking to Saudi Arabia is alarming.It proves the crime rate among Pakistani citizens are maximum in the world as no other nationalities in Saudi Arabia were found involved in such a large number in this henious crime.Our Air Port Security Force and Immigration System to monitor the passengers on board have failed completely.Before putting blame to Saudi Authorities, we must improve our own Security System as in Saudi Arabia justice is speedy and could not be influenced nor purchased as in Pakistan.

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