ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz has said that the process for the release of Pakistani prisoners from Saudi jails is under way and the nation may receive “good news” in this regard in the month of Ramazan, starting in the first week of May.

“The Saudi crown prince’s announcement on release of Pakistanis in Saudi jails is under process and in the holy month of Ramazan, we expect some good news regarding this announcement,” the ambassador said while speaking at a “welcome dinner” hosted in his honour in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and which was attended by representatives of the Pakistani community, says an official press release issued in Islamabad.

Read more: ‘11,803 Pakistanis languishing in foreign jails’

“Discussion on the transfer of prisoners agreement is in process and once the agreement is signed, the prisoners will be able to complete their sentences in their respective countries,” the ambassador said.

Mr Ejaz described the visit of the Saudi crown prince to Pakistan in February as “a major success”.

He said the visit had started a new era of relations with Saudi Arabia.

The ambassador recalled that during the visit, a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding had been signed and one of them was regarding the transfer of prisoners.

The Saudi prince had issued the order to release Pakistani prisoners a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan at a ceremony held to welcome him at the PM House had made a “special request” to him to look into the hardships of Pakistani labourers working in the kingdom, and to “look upon them as your own people”.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2019