Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that 164,788 Pakistanis were deported from Gulf countries over the past five years, with Saudi Arabia accounting for the largest share at 108,029. In a written reply to questions asked by lawmakers, Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi provided a detailed breakdown of deportations from other Gulf states: 40,497 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 9,814 from Oman, 2,971 from Qatar, 2,779 from Bahrain, and 698 from Kuwait. He further disclosed that 9,233 complaints were lodged by Pakistani workers in seven Gulf countries over a three-year period. Saudi Arabia accounted for 5,321 of these complaints, followed by the UAE with 1,310. Other complaints included 677 from Qatar, 404 from Oman, 539 from Kuwait, 850 from Bahrain, and 132 from Iraq. Responding during question hour, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, refuted reports of forced deportations from the Middle East, describing social media reports on the issue as “baseless.” He stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently has no data indicating that Pakistanis are being deported from any Gulf country. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, informed the House that a formal quarterly release mechanism between the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Finance has been finalised. He said most of the ministry’s funds are linked to procurement and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects, including ongoing innovations by the Digital Communication Department. Responding to PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqi, Tarar acknowledged that fund releases may not always match project timelines but assured full cooperation with the Finance Ministry for timely pensions, commutations, and PSDP project payments. He added that the ministry is enhancing collaboration with universities to foster consultation and communication on policy matters and future plans, while implementing proposals submitted by lawmakers. Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, stated that no fresh recruitment is planned for Islamabad prison staff. Instead, personnel from Punjab Police, Islamabad Police, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will manage the newly constructed facility. In the House, Parliamentary Secretary for Power, Aamir Talal Khan, projected that the share of renewable energy in Pakistan’s energy mix will reach 70 per cent by 2030, noting that last year’s target for renewable energy had been achieved. Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Nelson Azeem, confirmed that government hospitals in the federal capital are providing check-up and diagnostic facilities to patients. A four-year performance report of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) was also presented in the House. It revealed that since 2023, the agency has received 531,026 complaints. During this period, 80,226 inquiries were conducted, 5,755 cases registered, 7,600 individuals arrested, and 199 formally charged. Conversely, 877 individuals were acquitted in cases handled by the NCCIA. Meanwhile, during question hour, PTI lawmakers resorted to shouting slogans demanding the release of jailed party chairman Imran Khan, repeatedly disrupting proceedings by questioning the quorum. Despite their threats to halt House business, their efforts yielded no tangible results, exposing the ineffectiveness of their theatrics. Last week, PTI-backed opposition leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai threatened to halt National Assembly proceedings if the government did not provide a clear response on transferring the jailed former prime minister, who is reportedly suffering from an eye ailment, to a hospital – yet the warning highlighted political posturing more than any practical pressure. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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