Pakistani workers in the Kingdom not only support their families, but also the economy and industries of the countries in which they work as well the economy of Pakistan. But their treatment and plight often goes unnoticed. The governments must work together to identify Pakistanis in jail, and provide them with immediate legal support. Pakistan must also push for the prisoner transfer treaty with the Kingdom which the federal cabinet approved in March. The government should work to create an on-the-ground support network. The Sri Lankan government signed a labour agreement with Saudi Arabia to protect its 500,000 citizens in the country and established a 24-hour hotline for distressed workers.
Yumna Rizvi, 'The time to demand Saudi Arabia to treat Pakistani workers properly is now', Dawn