A total of 56 Pakistani prisoners, including five women and 51 men, returned to Pakistan from Sri Lanka on Monday, arriving on a specially chartered flight.

Pakistan and Sri lanka had agreed to facilitate the return of prisoners incarcerated in Sri Lankan jails for the last several years during meetings in May and then again in July between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Admiral (r) Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne.

The returning prisoners appreciated the efforts of the Naqvi and privatisation minister Abdul Aleem Khan who covered all expenses related to the prisoners’ return.

One elderly woman said, “Thank you for bringing us back to Pakistan. Your kindness will never be forgotten.”

Another prisoner said, “We are thankful to Mohsin Naqvi and Abdul Aleem Khan for bringing us back home. We were in difficult conditions, but thankfully, we are back.”

Naqvi praised the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government and the High Commissioner for their role in ensuring the successful return of the prisoners.

He also thanked the privatisation minister for his financial support throughout the repatriation process.

Earlier this year, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights said that almost 23,456 Pakistan nationals were imprisoned abroad, mostly in the Gulf countries, and directed the foreign ministry to formulate a much-delayed ‘Uniform Consular Protection Policy’ within three months and get it approved by the government for its implementation.