ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Thursday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to bring complete record about the alleged involvement of a man in child pornography for a briefing when it meets next time.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development met with MNA Sheikh Fayyazuddin in the chair. The meeting approved the draft National Emigrants Policy.

The committee was informed that the services of Sohail Ayaz, a consultant in a planning and development department project, were terminated in November last year following his arrest in Rawalpindi for child pornography and sexual abuse.

He was convicted for paedophile sex offences in the United Kingdom. His appointment by a government department had also raised questions about the process of hiring consultants in donor-funded projects.

After deportation from the UK on the completion of the jail term, Ayaz managed to secure the job in the KP government’s project under the health and planning and development departments and worked undetected for around four years until he was arrested in Rawalpindi in a similar case.

In a confessional video, the accused admitted sexually assaulting at least 30 boys.

MNA Dr Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto was surprised that the man convicted in the UK came to Pakistan and passed the immigration department undetected.

She found it disturbing that the suspect continued to work in the KP government as a chartered accountant.

The committee felt that all the information about the man was available but was being withheld.

meanwhile, the committee members expressed displeasure with the performance of the community welfare attache to assist Pakistanis held in Saudi jails.

The meeting learnt that there were 2.7 million Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi crown prince had promised to release Pakistanis from prisons, said Syed Javed Hasnain, a member of the committee.

“We have not done anything for the Pakistanis imprisoned abroad yet,” he said.

During the Saudi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan, it was announced that Pakistani prisoners would be released. However, officials from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis explained that it had called for the release of about 2,100 Pakistani prisoners during the crown prince’s visit.

As per an agreement with the crown prince, 579 prisoners have been released so far. Officials said ministries did everything possible to help Pakistanis stranded abroad.

However, there were obstacles to release prisoners involved in serious crimes, the OPF officials said. It is not possible to say what the obstacles are, they said.

The committee sought a briefing on the details of the prisoners and obstacles.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2020