Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the country’s National Assembly that over 23,000 Pakistanis are behind bars in several countries across the world on the account of far and wide ranging crimes, Dawn reported on Monday. 

According to Dawn, as many as 23,456 Pakistanis are currently behind bars overseas, with the largest number of inmates, 12,156, being held in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed Pakistan’s National Assembly.The statement was made during the lower house’s question hour.