ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Wednesday informed that there were at least 2396 Pakistanis detained in Turkish detention centers across Turkey on an account of illegal immigration.
In a written replying to a question of Rana Mahmood Ul Hassan, the house was informed that this number kept on varying according to the number of illegal Pakistanis entering Turkey.
As on March 2019, 281 Pakistani prisoners were imprisoned in Turkish jails and some of them had been convicted and awarded a sentence, it was further told.
Responding to a question raised by Talha Mehmood, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan Swati told the house that the government had consistently raised Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case, including possibility of her repatriation to Pakistan, with the US authorities.
Pakistan’s Consul General in Houston paid periodic Consular visits to Aafia, to inquire after her well-being and conveys her messages, if any, to her family, he said.
A request had been made by Pakistan to the US for exploring possibilities of accession to Inter-American Convention Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad, 1993 to serve as the platform for negotiating options of repatriation of Aafia, he said.
According to the requirements of US judicial system, the decision to file an appeal could only be taken by Dr Aafia Siddiqui herself. There were also normally time limits involved to file an appeal. During the consular visit of April 18, 2019, Dr Aafia Siddiqui indicated her willingness to file the appeal, he said.
Later, the chairman Senate referred the question to the concern standing committee for detailed deliberation.
