ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have decided to form a committee to streamline problems faced by Pakistani inmates in prisons in the Gulf country and ensure their quick repatriation, Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, special assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, said on Monday.
A delegation from Islamabad led by Bukhari has reportedly reached an understanding with Dubai police chief Maj. Gen. Abdullah Khalifa Al Mari to exchange prisoner information aimed at the quick repatriation of overseas Pakistanis who have completed jail sentences in the U.A.E., officials in Bukhari’s office, as well as the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, told Arab News, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media on the record.
“For the first time ever we have decided to form a joint committee to resolve issues relating to prisons and imprisoned Pakistanis in #UAE,” Bukhari said in a Twitter post.
Officials at the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis declined further details of Bukhari’s meetings, saying his trip would conclude by the end of the month and the outcome would then be shared publicly. The Foreign Office declined to comment.
There are roughly 1.4 million Pakistanis in the U.A.E. According to the Justice Project Pakistan, some 2,600 Pakistanis are serving time in prison.
Muhammad Arshad Ali, a director at the Overseas Pakistani Foundation, declined to provide details of recent talks held between officials of the two countries but said Pakistan had been engaged in formalizing an agreement with the U.A.E. since October to provide support to nationals charged with petty crimes and misdemeanors.
“Those that have been convicted, we can not interfere in their legal process; only their (Dubai) courts can release prisoners,” Ali said. “But there are cases which require appeal or payment of fines and when officials meet on a state level, through negotiations, those fines are expunged or the (Pakistan) government pays on the prisoner’s behalf.”
Islamabad, Dubai form committee to resolve problems of Pakistani prisoners
Islamabad, Dubai form committee to resolve problems of Pakistani prisoners
- Committee aimed to ensure quick repatriation of Pakistanis who have completed jail sentences
- 2,600 Pakistanis imprisoned in the U.A.E., according to Justice Project Pakistan
Pakistan’s defense chief accuses ‘Indian-sponsored proxies’ of fueling violence in Balochistan
- Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir speaks to participants of 18th National Workshop on Balochistan
- Warns violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity will be met with a “firm and decisive response”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces (CFD) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday blamed militant groups allegedly sponsored by India for fueling violence and disrupting development in the province, warning the military will foil their designs.
Munir was speaking to participants of the 18th National Workshop on Balochistan (NWB) at the General Headquarters of the military in Rawalpindi. The NWB features discussions on Pakistan’s policies on security, development and other challenges related to Balochistan by officials, leaders and citizens.
Pakistan accuses India of sponsoring militant groups in its southwestern Balochistan province, who demand independence from Islamabad. India rejects the allegations. These ethnic Baloch militant groups accuse Pakistan’s government and military of denying locals a share in the province’s mineral wealth, charges that both deny.
“Highlighting the security challenges, the COAS & CDF remarked that Indian-sponsored proxies continue to propagate violence and disrupt development in Balochistan,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.
“He reaffirmed that such inimical designs will be thwarted through stern actions by security forces to rid the province of terrorism and unrest.”
The Pakistani army chief lauded the federal and provincial governments’ initiatives for Balochistan’s development, underscoring a people-centric approach to unlock the province’s “vast economic potential.”
Munir appreciated the civil society for its constructive role in debunking propaganda, the military’s media wing said.
“He stressed the importance of rejecting vested political agendas to ensure that Balochistan’s future is shaped by long-term prosperity for all its residents,” the ISPR said.
The CDF reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace but stressed that any violation of the country’s territorial integrity will be met with a decisive response.
Pakistan suffered a surge in militant attacks in its northwestern and Balochistan provinces this year. As per the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) think tank, combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 percent to 3,387, compared with 1,950 in 2024.
These deaths included 2,115 militants, 664 security forces personnel, 580 civilians and 28 members of pro-government peace committees (combatants), the think tank said in a press release.
“PICSS noted that most violence remained concentrated in Pashtun-majority districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the tribal districts (erstwhile FATA), and in Balochistan,” the think tank said in its report on Sunday.
Islamabad also accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militants who launch attacks on Pakistan soil. Kabul rejects these allegations and says it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s security lapses.
