Over 21,000 Pakistani citizens are currently incarcerated in prisons across 76 countries, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis revealed to the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis on Friday.

This alarming figure was disclosed during a committee meeting chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada. Saudi Arabia holds the largest number of Pakistani prisoners, with 10,423 individuals, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 5,297. A substantial 1,437 Pakistanis are imprisoned in Turkey, and another 738 are held in India.

Ministry representatives informed the committee that data from 14 Pakistani embassies is still outstanding. Alarmingly, a considerable portion of these detainees are held solely due to their inability to settle imposed fines.

This recent data contrasts with figures presented to the National Assembly just two months prior, on May 19, 2025, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At that time, the total number of Pakistanis imprisoned globally was reported as 23,456, with the highest concentration, 12,156, in Saudi Arabia.

The May report also indicated over 5,000 Pakistani detainees in the UAE. Additional figures from that report included approximately 400 in China, 450 in Bahrain, 88 in Afghanistan, 338 in Qatar, 309 in Oman, and 255 in Malaysia.

The government has not yet clarified what, if any, legal or consular support is being provided to these incarcerated individuals.