The Pakistani consulate has worked out a special deal with the Saudi government to send Haj and Umrah overstayers home in three to four days provided they produce the original, or copies of their passports, and confirmed return tickets.

The consulate would work with the Shumaisi detention center authorities to send them home, Aftab Khokhar, the Pakistan consul general, told journalists at a briefing here on Wednesday.

“It is a great chance for Pakistanis who have overstayed their visas. They should use this opportunity to return to Pakistan so that they can come back to Saudi Arabia legally,” he said. “This breakthrough is a further effort to improve relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”

The consulate plans to make a list of all such people and then process groups of 50 at a time, to make it easier for the Saudi Passport Department.

Khokhar said the deal does not include Pakistanis who have run away from their sponsors, those with expired residence permits, or those who have overstayed their visit visas. However, the consulate was looking at ways to deal with these cases, he said.

Khokhar said the consulate has already sent 6,000 Pakistanis home, which includes 4,400 in one month, with Saudi Airlines providing the special flights.



He said a further 450 Pakistanis are going home on Sunday.

Khokhar said that he visited detention centers around the country, and praised Tahseem-ul-Haq Haqqi, welfare consul, and his team for their efforts.