Report sought on steps taken for inmates in Iran.

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the ministry of foreign affairs (MoFA) to submit a detailed report on efforts made to provide consular assistance to Pakistanis imprisoned in Iran in order to secure their repatriation.

Earlier, representing a public interest petition, Barrister Sarah Belal said the state was responsible to represent the imprisoned citizens forcefully as required by law to expedite their repatriation and ensure consular assistance at all stages of their imprisonment.

She said the efforts of the MoFA's Iran desk in holding consistent meetings with their counterparts in Tehran to bring back prisoners were laudable but a consular policy was still pending.

She said due to the lack of a uniform consular policy, Pakistani citizens imprisoned abroad lacked consular support and adequate legal representation.

Justice Shahid Waheed adjourned hearing for a week.

As per a report submitted by the MoFA [Foreign Office] at the previous hearing, 102 Pakistanis are imprisoned in Iran. Of these, 65 have already been convicted and are eligible for repatriation to their home country under a...