KARACHI, 4 April 2004 — One thousand and forty-eight Pakistanis are currently under detention in different countries, including the United States, England and Afghanistan.
Of these, 211 are in the custody of the US Immigration and Naturalization Services, Water and Power Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao told the National Assembly (lower house of Parliament) yesterday.
Sherpao said that by interacting with the US Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security it has been ensured that all detainees are being dealt with according to the law and during consular visits it has been ensured that the detainees were allowed to offer prayers, were given halal food and access to the Qur’an.
The Pakistani Embassy also provides legal assistance to all detainees, said the minister.
There are 314 Pakistanis in British jails on charges of drug trafficking, illegal immigration, money laundering and robbery, he said. Under British law, said Sherpao, the representatives of the high commission could meet prisoners only with their consent. The consular officer of the high commission also visits Pakistanis in detention centers.
Five hundred and twenty-three Pakistanis have been arrested in Afghanistan and the Pakistani Embassy is in contact with the Afghan government for their release. He explained that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Afghanistan and wished to have friendly and cooperative relations on the basis of mutual trust, equality and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. Sherpao said that out of 191 member states of the United Nations, Pakistan has foreign missions in 79 countries.
