The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has reported a significant migration of Pakistani citizens abroad, with approximately 3.275 million people relocated from 2019 to August 2024, constituting about 1.3% of the population.
The data was disclosed in a report presented during a recent Senate session, highlighting that these migrations were in response to international labour demands.
Additionally, the Senate’s Overseas Committee has moved forward with legislation to establish special courts designed to resolve property and other legal issues faced by Pakistanis living abroad. The urgency of these measures is underscored by data from the past year indicating that 859,763 Pakistanis moved overseas, with another 422,487 leaving in the current year alone.
The report also sheds light on a concerning issue of 20,000 Pakistani nationals currently imprisoned abroad, including about 10,000 in Saudi Arabian facilities alone. This figure has seen a significant increase from 2022, when approximately 11,000 were detained, prompting calls from various organizations for more proactive government intervention in these matters.
