IT is cause for grave concern when Pakistanis jailed abroad languish in prisons because our government finds itself unable to protect their rights. The fact that such apathy is typical when it comes to addressing human rights violations was underscored this week when the Lahore High Court heard a petition filed by families of Pakistani citizens jailed in Saudi Arabia. During the hearing, Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed that the government had “adopted a policy of ‘no policy’ on overseas Pakistanis in Arab countries…. ” His ire is justified. The government had conveniently ignored the court’s earlier directive suggesting that it devise a coherent consular protection policy. Such lack of concern is deplorable on the part of the state that is duty-bound to protect vulnerable and impoverished Pakistani citizens. Data collected by the foreign affairs ministry shows that thousands of Pakistani prisoners are suffering abroad. The Senate was informed last year that some 2,400 were jailed in Saudi prisons alone. Since then, it is believed these figures have increased. Further, lawyers have noted that Pakistani migrant workers are vulnerable prey for local agents who use them as drug mules, forcing them to travel with ingested narcotics to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. When caught, they face execution for narcotics offences. Given Saudi Arabia’s record of executing prisoners, it is imperative that the government minimise these risks for those seeking employment abroad by prosecuting criminal local agents.

With reported wrongful convictions and executions of Pakistanis in violation of international and domestic legal standards, the government must intervene when citizens require diplomatic and legal assistance. Consular access is not simply about collating prisoner information; it also means ensuring the prisoners receive a fair trial. It is inhumane to leave Pakistani prisoners all over the world to die in prisons and their families at home to suffer in silence. Pakistani citizens deserve to benefit from the presumption of innocence and due process when jailed abroad, rather than be assumed guilty and abandoned by our government.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2017