Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, while giving an interview to a local newspaper in Saudi Arabia, said that 1100 Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi jails will be released and will return home soon.

Sheikh Rashid said that minor prisoners have already been released from their prisons and release of these prisoners will be possible soon.

Most of these prisoners have already served large portions of their sentence.

With Rs1 billion, the government can afford to pay penalties for hundreds of more prisoners who are serving additional time. The cases of serious offenders will be dealt separately, the minister announced.

The whole process of the repatriation of these prisoners has been completed, Rasheed said.

Some 30 prisoners charged with murder and manslaughter cannot be released. They have been sentenced to death by local courts, he said.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid added that if one billion rupees of aid was received, more prisoners in Saudi jails could be released due to small fines.