The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has revealed that 21,406 Pakistani citizens are currently imprisoned across 61 countries, according to official records obtained by ProPakistani.
However, the report notes that 14 Pakistani embassies have not yet submitted complete data, leaving some gaps in the overall picture.
Among the countries that provided data, Saudi Arabia tops the list with 10,423 Pakistanis in jail, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 5,297, and Turkey with 1,437.
In India, 738 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned. Other countries with high numbers include Oman (578), Malaysia (463), Qatar (422), Sri Lanka (112), Afghanistan (85), and South Africa (75).
In the United States, 65 Pakistanis are in prison, including Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, while the United Kingdom has 23, Australia 27, and Spain 42.
Other countries with smaller numbers include Nepal (19), Bulgaria (11), Denmark (21), Bangladesh (1), Iran (4), and Iraq (40).
Some nations reported no Pakistani prisoners at all, including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ghana, Morocco, Myanmar, New Zealand, Rwanda, Senegal, and Singapore.
The report also notes that France has not shared its data, citing local privacy regulations. In Japan, 16 Pakistanis are imprisoned, but information on six of them has not been disclosed.
According to the Ministry, many Pakistanis in foreign jails, particularly in Saudi Arabia, are behind bars simply because they cannot afford to pay fines.
Get the latest news and stories wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.