Agreement on prisoner exchange with Malaysia being finalized

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Malaysia are finalizing a prisoner exchange agreement, according to officials privy to the development. The draft of the proposed agreement from Malaysia has been handed over to Pakistan and the authorities in Islamabad are finalizing some amendments to it. According to diplomatic sources, the agreement will be signed by both sides during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Malaysia soon. According to officials, 384 Pakistani prisoners are currently imprisoned in Malaysia and 187 of them are serving sentences for immigration offences. Moreover, 52 Pakistanis are being held in Malaysia on drug charges. There are also 18 Pakistani prisoners charged with murder, rioting and attempting to murder. One Pakistani is also in jail for money laundering and another for cryptocurrency.

According to diplomatic sources, five Pakistani women are also in jail in Malaysia. In addition, 11 Pakistani prisoners are in jail on charges of arms smuggling, prostitution and extortion.

Diplomatic sources have said that 10 Pakistanis imprisoned in Malaysia have been sentenced to death for drugs and murder. With the efforts of the Pakistani mission, the death sentence of the prisoners has been changed from imprisonment.

According to diplomatic sources, Pakistani prisoners have been kept in 38 jails and different campuses in Malaysia. The prisoner swap deal will pave the way for the remaining Pakistani prisoners to serve their sentences in Pakistan.

According to diplomatic sources, Pakistani prisoners in Malaysia do not have the facility to renew their identity cards and passports in jail. Due to the lack of documentation, Pakistani prisoners often do not have the right to appeal their sentences.