Islamabad, Sep 3 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the relevant authorities to make arrangements for the early release of female prisoners — both under-trial and convicted.

According to the Prime Minister Office (PMO), Khan announced the decision at a meeting and later in his tweets on Wednesday.

A source in the PMO told Dawn news that it was brought to the notice of the Prime Minister that a large number of women prisoners were facing imprisonment only because they were unable to pay petty fines.

Khan vowed that the government would bear all expenses for the release of women prisoners whose remaining sentence was less than three years and they were serving imprisonment due to non-payment of petty fines, the source added.

In his tweets, Prime Minister Khan said he had issued the directions after a meeting with Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, the attorney general and Barrister Ali Zafar.

He also asked for "immediate reports on foreign women prisoners and women on death row for humanitarian consideration".

Khan's order comes in the wake of an interim order issued by the Supreme Courtin April in which it had directed the government to release prisoners suffering from a physical or mental illness, under-trial prisoners who were 55 or older, male under-trial prisoners who had not been convicted in the past as well as female and juvenile prisoners.