ISLAMABAD: A total of 3,240 Pakistani nationals are still languishing in the prisons of Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly’s session on Thursday.
The foreign minister, in a written reply, said that Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the Kingdom has been making efforts to secure the release of the inmates.
Qureshi said a total of 2,080 Pakistani prisoners were set free by Saudi authorities in the wake of an announcement by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman in this regard during his visit to Pakistan last year.
About the prime minister’s efforts to help facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, he said the premier emphasised on easing tensions and resolution of all issues between the two regional rivals through diplomatic means.
Prime Minister Imran Khan held meetings with Saudi and Iranian leadership in an effort to patch up the differences between the two.
“We conveyed a message of removing misgivings and resolution of issues,” he said.
Last year in October, the prime minister had undertaken visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia to help facilitate talks between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Qureshi met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Salman in Riyadh and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei in Tehran for the purpose.
