PM Khan asks bin Salman to treat 2.5 mln exploited Pakistani laborers in Saudi ‘as his own’

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday asked Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to treat his country’s 2.5 million laborers in Saudi Arabia, often exploited and maltreated, as one of “his own.”

During a joint press conference, Khan seized the opportunity to request better working conditions for his fellow countrymen who “undergo hardships” in the Kingdom.

"They are very close to my heart. They leave their families and children and take all the trouble and go away to earn money. They don't get to see their families for a year or six months," Imran Khan said.

Pakistani laborers in Saudi Arabia face increasing hardships as Riyadh deported hundreds of thousands of workers over the past couple of years.

Those who were able to keep their jobs have to endure abuse and inhumane working conditions enforced by their Saudi employers.

Additionally, the crown prince is said to have "ordered the immediate release of 2,107 Pakistani prisoners", after a request by Khan, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry reported on Twitter.

The fate of thousands of Pakistani workers locked up in jails across the Middle East is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where there is a perception the prisoners are mostly poor laborers who have no real legal recourse.

Huge numbers of Pakistanis travel to the Middle East every year, with many working on construction sites or as domestic helpers. The remittances they send back are vital for Pakistan's dollar-starved economy.

Saudi Arabia has yet to comment on the Pakistani announcement of a prisoner release.