Pakistan and the UK on Thursday signed a prisoner transfer agreement, allowing foreign inmates in both countries to serve their sentences closer to home.

The UK-Pakistan Prisoner Transfer Agreement was signed by British high commissioner Thomas Drew and Pakistan interior secretary Azam Suleman Khan in Islamabad.

The agreement will give prisoners the opportunity to serve their sentence closer to home and allows them to prepare for their reintegration into their home community when they are eventually released from prison, according to a statement by the British High Commission in Islamabad.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Drew said the agreement will strengthen UK-Pakistan ties.

'I am delighted to sign this updated prisoner transfer agreement today, which will allow prisoners to serve their sentence closer to home. This is a testament to the strength of our two countries' relationship,' he said.

The agreement was approved in principle during British home secretary Sajid Javid's visit to Pakistan in September.

It restores and updates a previous treaty between the UK and Pakistan, and includes strengthened assurances that all transferred prisoners will serve their appropriate sentences before being released.