Three Pakistani children return home after release from Saudi jail

Three Pakistani children held in Saudi prison for a period of over two years returned back to the country on Thursday.
Ayan, Mannan and Bushra were held by the Saudi authorities after their parents were found guilty in the drugs case. The family went to Saudi Arabia in 2016.
The three children were confined in a welfare protection jail.
According to the documents available with The Express Tribune, 45% of Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi jails were convicted or accused of drug smuggling, while 15% have theft charges against them, 12% have been charged or convicted of fraud and 8% are imprisoned for ‘indecency’.Prime

Minister’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari had taken notice of the matter and tasked managing director overseas Pakistanis and community welfare attache to the Kingdom for the release of the children.Zulfikar Bukhari, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development took notice of news on media about Pakistani women and children in Saudi jails.

Women and children arrested and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia were showed in the clips circulating on the social media.

Zulfikar Bukhari ordered an inquiry into the matter and asked the Managing Director OPF and Community Welfare Attache Jeddah to contact Saudi authorities for the release of Pakistani prisoners.Three children, Ayan, Mannan and Bushra were released after a meeting of Overseas Ministry officials with Saudi authorities.

The children were in the prison under social protection department of Saudi Arabia. They were detained in 2016 after their parents were convicted of bringing heroin into Saudi Arabia.

Bushra has already been sent to Pakistan while Ayan and Manan are likely to be sent to Pakistan today.