Govt's help sought for release of drug suspect

Express Tribune

04-02-2025

HARIPUR:
The family of a Haripur-based woman, who was accused of travelling to Saudi Arabia under the guise of a free Umrah package, has appealed to the federal government for her release, claiming she was used as a drug carrier.
Muhammad Ishaq, in a video message, explained that his wife (N) was deceived into becoming involved in a drug trafficking case under the pretence of a free Umrah trip.
He claimed that neither his wife nor any member of their family had any involvement in drug smuggling, requesting that the Pakistani government intervene and contact the Saudi authorities to secure the release of his wife and her brother.
Muhammad Ishaq, who is a WAPDA employee from the Sabra City Colony area and works at the Tarbela Dam, shared the details of the incident.
He stated that his wife was introduced to a free Umrah package through his friend Zulfiqar Khokhar and a person named Tahir Hassan. According to Ishaq, Khokhar had previously arranged a similar Umrah package for another individual.
On January 19, 2025, as they were departing from Islamabad Airport, Khokhar accompanied them up to the Chach Interchange. During this time, a call came from Tahir Hassan, who instructed Khokhar to tell Ishaq's wife that someone would meet her at the airport with a six-kilogramme packet of dried fruit. She was told to deliver it to Jeddah, where a friend would pick it up, and she was instructed not to open the package.
Ishaq's wife completed her boarding process and flew to Jeddah via Airblue. However, six or seven days later, she contacted her husband to inform him that she had been arrested by Saudi police for drug smuggling, as the packet of dried fruit contained numerous capsules filled with drugs. Additionally, her brother, who had been waiting for her at the Jeddah Airport, was also arrested by the authorities.
Ishaq appealed to the Pakistani government to assist his family members, as other innocent families have been brought back to Pakistan, and he hopes the same assistance will be extended to his family.