The Pakistani government commented on the controversial numbers of its citizens inside Iraq, in response to what was recently circulated by the media and social media platforms. The Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Minister of Human Resource Development and Overseas Pakistani Affairs, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, said in a press statement today, Saturday, "I met a few days ago with the Ambassador of the State of Iraq to Pakistan, Hamid Abbas Lafta, who informed me that 50,000 Pakistani visitors failed to return to their country, and remained in Iraq to search for a livelihood. I explained to the ambassador Pakistan's keenness to treat them according to the law, and that their stay and work in Iraq be according to the law." He added, "The statement was taken out of context and used to offend Pakistan, as this number "50,000" is for the past years and not just this year, and these people did not disappear; rather, they failed to return, and they are not affiliated with any party or organizatio n." He explained, "These people went through entities and companies for the purpose of working legally, but what happened was that these companies did not fulfill their obligations, but rather left them to the unknown in Iraq. We demanded that the presence of these people in Iraq be legalized and their status be amended in line with Iraqi law," adding, "We will meet with the Iraqi Minister of Labor and sign a memorandum of understanding in this regard. Source: National Iraqi News Agency