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Karachi police on Sunday managed to trace the family of an elderly man reportedly languishing in a prison in Saudi Arabia, days after his plea for help went viral on social media.
In the video, inmate Muhammad Nadeem told the viewers the address of his Pakistan residence. Nadeem also explained that he does not have his National Identity Card (NIC) or passport with him and has been in jail for nearly a month.
"I have lived in Saudi Arabia for the past 35 years and returned to Pakistan thrice in all this time," Nadeem said in the video.
Another man can be seen asking Nadeem questions in the video while a third is heard in the recording. The men say that the elderly man is being held as a prisoner in a jail in the Shahrah Khazan area of Riyadh.
After the video did rounds on social media, Nadeem's family were contacted by the police.
The prisoner's brother Waseem told Dawn that after Nadeem's job ended, he took asylum in a mosque and became a Moazzin there. The brother said he was not sure if Nadeem's travel documents were expired or lost.
The family have since asked relevant authorities to help with the required paperwork to bring Nadeem back to Pakistan.
According to police, contact has been established between Nadeem and his family, and a process has been initiated to arrange for required legal documents.
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On DawnNews
Comments (26) Closed
Apr 01, 2018 10:49pm
At this age and living abroad for that long, still he does not understand the meaning of the documents. Is unbelievable.
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Apr 01, 2018 11:18pm
I am from Karachi and live in Riyadh. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance.
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Apr 01, 2018 11:29pm
Poor man in Saudi jail, not knowing why is put there. Let's see, how puppet government of PMLN handle this case and care about it's citizens!
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Apr 02, 2018 12:06am
There are hundreds of people like him who due their shortcomings and handicaps in terms of lack of language skills, identification papers, visa expiry, employer mistreatment, and improper legal representations are languishing in Saudi jails! What the Pakistani diplomats and Pakistani leadership are doing to get them back before they become victim of their adverse circumstance!
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Apr 02, 2018 01:48am
@Sohail Ahmed you should give contact details please.
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Apr 02, 2018 02:10am
@AWAN it’s common in SaudiArabia specially for those who keep living in denial phase. Unfortunately due to change in laws by MBS and his team, many such stories are expected to be heard in near future.
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Apr 02, 2018 02:33am
Life in Saudi Arabia sucks.
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Apr 02, 2018 02:47am
The Pakistani leadership and govt , could care less what happens to the ordinary citizens of the people of Pakistan,Pakistanis should pray for Pakistan ,get rid of the corrupt leaders who are transferring the wealth of the country abroad , and vote for honest people .
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Apr 02, 2018 02:48am
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani Ehsan Iqbal and Khaqan Abbasi will do nothing as it is only a Pakistani not not related to PML- N issue or its member. They are busy defending Nawaz Sharif.
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Apr 02, 2018 03:15am
@AWAN Yes its unbelievable, when one becomes a senior citizen and suffers from dementia and continues to support his family and country from abroad, and yes its unbelievable that how he lost his documents, and its unbelievable how his own government remains clueless for his condition! Indeed, its a matter of great national shame! It is unbelievable!
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Apr 02, 2018 03:32am
This is probably the story of many Pakistanis that have spent their entire youth in Saudi Arabia and have raised their families there, and never thought that one day they would have to return to Pakistan. And now as the laws of the Kingdom have changed, these people have to leave and they have no money and no place in Pakistan to return to. Pakistan's embassy should do more to help these stranded Pakistanis return to the homeland.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:09am
In Saudia the passport is with Employer and when they terminate the employee, they hand it over to them or take them to airport and give their documents after making sure they will not skip. In some cases employer trust the employee and hand over the passport and ask them to travel back to their countries. In this case, some people try to skip and trash their own document so that they cannot be deported. I have lived their and found no issue , i have seen people in trouble only when they break the law.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:38am
Asylum in mosque, that's a new terminology heard for the first time. And he remain there for such a long time.Anyways he will now be repatriated soon. The real fact is that lots of Pakistanis,Indians, and Bangladeshis , take undue advantage of Umra Visas and use Umra Visa to remain for indefinite period untill caught and deported.
The case of Nadeem is similiar, he lived a long period of 35 years, he worked in KSA he got money, he thriced came home, now from prison he confortably sent message which got easily viral. All this cannot be possible without leneincy of KSA
he should come back, and thank the Saudis for hospitality. Saudis are very lenient to all pilgrims and also to pilgrim- turned workers, all job seekers must respect the laws of host country, and always first obtain Aqama Visa before working in KSA, UAE, or Qatar. There is a well define visa system that must be followed.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:54am
Stuck in Saudi 's prison - he might die no one will notice.Pak envoy in KSA should take notice.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:59am
When his job ended why didnt he go back to Pakistan? Hardly logical in blaming the Saudi's and Government when he did not take correct steps himself
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Apr 02, 2018 05:07am
Sad, how our people are abandoned in jails abroad.
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Apr 02, 2018 06:35am
What in the world is Pakistani embassy and consulate doing to get ALL the stranded citizens back to Pakistan? Are they even aware of this problem?
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Apr 02, 2018 06:49am
Well done Karachi police
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Apr 02, 2018 06:53am
Strange 35 years in Saudi Arabia and no local Saudi Contact???
No wife or kids never married?
Camera in Saudi Prison???
Has been to Pakistani/Karachi only three times???
No documents what so ever???
But he remembers his address in korongi like spot on very very very strange???
Where is his kafeel???
Too many questions.
The PAK embassy in Riyad is notified when an illegal pakistani person is arrested in SA upon which the Pakistani embassy contacts the person and his family back in Pakistan.
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Apr 02, 2018 08:01am
The man served the kingdom for over 30 decades and that is how they treated him? Where is Muslim brotherhood?
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Apr 02, 2018 10:10am
I am amazed at some comments blaming government for an individual's act, We are doomed not by our pathetic government but as a nation we have failed to take responsibility of our own acts we think that every thing will be done by government and we Genious his majesty type people can do whatever we want.
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Apr 02, 2018 10:16am
Hundreds or rather thousands of men live fearful lives in Saudi Arabia just due to the system of government there which benefits only its own citizens who employ these men at lower wages, in hotels and other such facilities for the pilgrims, exploiting them in every manner possible. They live in the under ground of these hotels, or shared spaces nearby, fearful of getting caught by the police if they went outside
Is there anything that can be done about this matter by our worthy governments in and outside power?
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Apr 02, 2018 10:16am
@Anonymous No sir, if you follow rule, it is nice place to live in. More than 300,000 people from US and Europe work in Saudi Arabia. Regards
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Apr 02, 2018 10:17am
@ART KP No SIR, You have misconception
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Apr 02, 2018 12:24pm
@Ghani K (KPK) The Embassy is populated by political appointee who are least concerned for solving problems of Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia! One has to bribe lower staff to get inside to inquire about things!
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Apr 02, 2018 06:15pm
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani Take on the things positively. You are over-occupied by PML-N. Too many expectations from IK.
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