Recently, a Senate committee was informed that 17,321 Pakistani nationals are currently incarcerated in foreign prisons, with the majority in the Middle East and 85 in Afghanistan. Community welfare attachés from Dubai, Doha and Kuala Lumpur reported 3,523, 619 and 499 detainees respectively, providing some details on their condition as undertrial prisoners and convicts.

Pakistani citizens abroad often face distressing situations such as accidents, illnesses, natural disasters or legal troubles where they rely on their government for assistance. The primary mechanism for such aid is consular protection — a formal system established by states to safeguard the rights and welfare of their nationals overseas. Unfortunately, this revelation before the Senate starkly highlights the state's persistent failure to create effective legal safeguards and policies for consular protection, a neglect all too often underscored by recurring news of Pakistanis languishing in foreign jails.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2010 directed the government to........

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