UAE, Pakistan close to convict swap deal – News

Pakistani prisoners in UAE to be allowed to serve time in home country

A senior official said on Friday that Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are discussing a convict exchange deal, which is expected to be reached soon.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said on Friday that the embassy was seeking an agreement with UAE authorities under which Pakistani prisoners in the UAE would be allowed to serve a period of time in Pakistan.

This is the long-awaited demand of the Pakistani society, and the ambassador hopes that an agreement will be reached as soon as possible.

The ambassador was led by Chairman Tahir Munir Tahir when he met with members of the Pakistan Journalists Forum in the UAE on Friday.

Recently, according to Pakistani media reports, three suspects were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and sexual assault and were extradited from the UAE to Pakistan.

Home to 1.7 million Pakistanis, the UAE is the South Asian country’s second-largest diaspora community outside Pakistan. The two countries have close economic, political and cultural ties.

Ambassador Faisal Tirmizi briefed the media delegation on various measures taken by the Pakistani Embassy in the UAE for the welfare of the community.

The media delegation discussed a wide range of topics including positive coverage of Pakistan in the media, serving the community by highlighting their contribution to society and developing ideas for community welfare.

The ambassador praised the role played by the UAE media in projecting a positive image of Pakistan in the country. He encouraged them to highlight Pakistan’s culture, food, sports and high achievers in society.