Over 21,900 Pakistanis deported from Gulf countries since March, NA told

ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday informed the National Assembly that 21, 951 Pakistani nationals had been deported from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman up to March 1, 2026, mainly for violations of local laws.

Key points

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• He remarked Pakistani nationals were deported for various reasons, including criminal offences, immigration violations, blacklisting, drug-related offences and other breaches of local laws.

Responding to Question during question hour, the minister clarified that the number of deportees officially documented to Pakistani authorities was different from the total number of Pakistanis who returned to the country voluntarily. President Zardari felicitates Mirza Fakhrul Islam on election as Bangladesh President.

While those returning on their own passports or by their own choice were not included in the official deportation figures, he remarked Pakistan counted only those nationals who were formally deported and handed over to the relevant authorities.

Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry remarked the policy followed by the Gulf countries was to take foreign nationals into custody for violations of local laws and subsequently contact their respective missions for issuance of travel documents before repatriating them to their countries. He remarked Pakistani nationals were deported for various reasons, including criminal offences, immigration violations, blacklisting, drug-related offences and other breaches of local laws. The minister remarked the Foreign Office had taken the problem of Pakistani nationals facing deportation as a priority and was working on policies concerning the businesses and assets of such individuals in those countries. He continued that efforts were additionally being created to engage with the concerned Gulf countries to ensure that no Pakistani national was deported through an improper or unlawful process. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry remarked the recent rise in deportations was largely attributable to administrative measures taken by the respective countries to enforce their laws.

For now, over 21, 900 Pakistanis deported from Gulf countries since March, NA told remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.