Hundreds of young Pakistanis are in the prisons of China due to the reason that they either make an effort to cross Pak China border without any documentation or they have overstayed there even after expiry of their visa.
Here in Pakistan, their parents are waiting for them anxiously and some of them even don’t know where their dear ones are and in which circumstances they are leading their lives.
In this connection, a fresh case appears in the limelight in which a Pakistani citizen Nadir Khan, who hails from Charsadda district, has been imprisoned in a jail in China for the past 17 years.
Nadir Khan’s 70-year-old mother, Sardaro Bibi, explained in an interview to the media, that her son suddenly left home some 17 years ago. She said that they were very worried because he was married and had two children. A year later, they received a letter in which Nadir Khan informed them that he was arrested at the airport in China and is now in jail.”
She said that Nadir Khan called them after three or four months, the last time he called from jail on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
He told his family that they are facing a lot of difficulties in jail. The prison authorities don’t allow them to pray or recite the Quran, and the food they provide is also not proper. They don’t even allow them to go outside for fresh air.”
According to Sardaro Bibi, Nadir said, It was not as difficult before, but now it has become very tough.
“I appeal to the Chinese government to kindly forgive his wrongdoing. We also acknowledge his mistake. I also appeal to the Pakistani government to request China for his release,” she added.
Now it is the obligation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the case of release of Pakistani citizens from prison with the Chinese Foreign Office at the highest level.
Similarly, the government of Pakistan should also arrange legal assistance for these unfortunate Pakistanis through the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing so that they can be released as they have faced much more punishment than their crime that they have committed in ignorance or compellingly.
In October 2022 Foreign Office Islamabad had informed the Senate while replying to a question from a member of upper house of the parliament that some 236 Pakistanis are in the jails in China.
At that time it was confirmed that China has been contacted in this regard to release the Pakistanis under the agreement that was signed during 2020. The FO had also apprised the Senate that some 81 Pakistani prisoners were released by China in 2022 after completing their three years’ term.
It is suggested that one or two lawyers, having experience and grip on immigration laws, should be posted at the Pakistan Embassy in China , who could work for the release of entire Pakistanis from their jails free of cost so that the poor youth people may reach their homes as early as possible .