ISLAMABAD: Sehma Bibi, a three-year old Pakistani girl, returned home onMonday after her parents were convicted in Saudi Arabia on drug traffickingcharges.
The girl, resident of Swat, visited Saudi Arabia along with her parents toperform Umrah around a year ago, but the family was arrested at Jeddahairport on recovery of drugs.
According to a press release of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the Saudiauthorities tried the couple as per law of the land, who had concealedaround 100 capsules filled with heroin in their abdomen.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and HumanResource Development Zulfi Bukhari had given the task to Managing Directorof Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OFP) Dr Amer Sheikh and CommunityWelfare Attaché (CWA) Jeddah to look into the matter and extend allpossible assistance to the family.
The parents of Shema Bibi were convicted on recovery of the drugs. However,the child was released by the Saudi authorities after negotiations with thePakistani mission. Father of the minor girl will be executed, while hermother will remain imprisoned for 18 years at Reform Jail Dhahban nearJeddah.
“As a result of the efforts of the Pakistani Mission in Jeddah, Shema Bibiwas taken into custody on May 5. The child has been brought back toPakistan on May 6 through PIA Flight PK-742 from Jeddah to Islamabad,”reads the statement.
Bukhari praised the efforts of the OPF MD and CWA Jeddah and at the sametime expressed sorrow for the innocent child who has lost her parents. “Weare trying our best to stop these kinds of incidents from happening. We donot know the circumstances under which people are being forced to commitsuch acts,” he added.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s friend expressed best wishes for the child andinstructed OPF chief to make arrangements for her well-being.
According to the documents available with *The Express Tribune**,* 45% ofPakistanis imprisoned in Saudi jails were convicted or accused of drugsmuggling, while 15% have theft charges against them, 12% have been chargedor convicted of fraud and 8% are imprisoned for ‘indecency’.