ISLAMABAD: Interior minister Sheikh Rashid has said if financial assistance of Rs 1 billion is provided then we can get release hundreds of prisoners from Saudi jails who have to pay small fines

In an interview he said Monday families of those Pakistanis who are kept in Sauidi Arabia jails are in Pakistan and if they are shifted to Pakistani their families can look after them in better way while in Saudi Arabia there is no one to take care of them.

Following the signing of agreements by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia during Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan visit 1100 Pakistani prisoners are being repatriated , he pointed out. These prisoners have spent major part of their sentence and only small period is left more. The entire process of release of prisoners has nearly been completed. This job will be done as soon as possible, he added.

There are about 600 to 700 prisoners against whom fine about Rs one billion stands, he said adding I have asked Imran Khan if this amount is provided to us then these all prisoners can be got released.

There are 30 such Pakistani prisoners in Saudi jails who are kept in prisons in the casers of drug smuggling and murder and they have been awarded death sentence, he pointed out.