The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Monday expressed serious reservations over the increasing number of executions of Pakistanis in foreign countries.
During a meeting at the Parliament House, the committee recommended the Foreign Office (FO) to ensure the right to fair trial for all Pakistani citizens facing legal proceedings in overseas courts of law.
The committee asked the Foreign Ministry to provide assistance to under-trial Pakistanis in finding lawyers, translators (if required) and guidance on foreign legal systems. The due course of law must be followed before any Pakistani citizen is convicted anywhere in the world, the committee noted.
Committee Chairman Awais Leghari called it a “matter of serious concern” that Pakistani labourers abroad were unable to afford defence lawyers in their trials in court. He demanded that destitute Pakistanis must be provided with all available support in their times of need in foreign countries.
The FO informed the committee that around 8,500 Pakistanis were detained in overseas prisons — most of whom were charged with drug-related crimes.
Pakistanis are routinely executed in Saudi Arabia over drug trafficking. Ten Pakistanis have been executed in Saudi Arabia so far in 2015 as drug and murder convictions account for the bulk of executions in Saudi Arabia.
Leghari also expressed his desire that the FO improve its coordination with relevant departments to alleviate drug peddling at home airports. Customs, Anti-Narcotics Force and Immigration and Passport (IMPASS) should be held accountable if a person passes through airports with drugs in his possession, he added.
The members also showed deep concern over human right abuses against Rohingya Muslims in Burma.
The members strongly reacted to India’s acceptance of its role in breaking up Pakistan in 1971. The committee recommended raising the issue at international forums in order to expose the anti-peace policy of India.
It was also noted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance regarding peace in South Asia has been steady and stable in spite of India’s erratic statements coming from the premier’s office.
The chairman and other committee members observed that there was little interaction between the incoming parliamentary delegates and the committee. He strongly recommended that Pakistani diplomats should suggest incoming delegates to meet the foreign affairs committees of both Houses when they visit Pakistan.
