More than 21,000 Pakistani citizens are currently imprisoned across 61 countries, according to data released by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis.
As per the report obtained by ProPakistani, a total of 21,406 Pakistanis are serving time in foreign jails. However, the numbers may be even higher, as 14 Pakistani embassies have yet to submit their complete data.
Among the countries that did share figures, Saudi Arabia leads with 10,423 Pakistani prisoners, followed by the United Arab Emirates (5,297) and Turkey (1,437).
In India, 738 Pakistanis are currently jailed. Other countries with notable figures include Oman (578), Malaysia (463), Qatar (422), Sri Lanka (112), Afghanistan (85), and South Africa (75).
In Western countries, the numbers are relatively low: the United States has 65 Pakistani prisoners, including Dr. Aafia Siddiqui; the UK has 23, Australia 27, and Spain 42.
Some countries reported fewer detainees: Nepal (19), Bulgaria (11), Denmark (21), Iran (4), Iraq (40), and Bangladesh (1).
Notably, several countries — including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ghana, Morocco, Myanmar, New Zealand, Rwanda, Senegal, and Singapore — reported zero Pakistani prisoners.
France declined to provide information, citing privacy laws, while Japan reported 16 Pakistani detainees, but withheld details for six of them.
The report also highlights that many Pakistanis, particularly in Saudi Arabia, remain in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay fines, raising humanitarian and diplomatic concerns.
