New Delhi: The Supreme Court on September 2 gave time till September 18 to the Union government to state by which orders 11 Pakistani nationals were kept in prisons despite they having served their sentences and sought information about the jails in which they have been lodged.

The time was given by a Bench comprising Justice M B Shah and Justice A R Lakshmanan when attorney general Soli J Sorabjee, whose assistance was sought by the court during the last hearing, said though he had not been able lay his hands on orders pertaining to their detention, he would be able to file a proper response on the issue if given two weeks time.

During the last hearing, the Bench had permitted Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh to send representatives to various jails, in which these 11 Pakistani nationals were lodged and interview them for legal aid.

Singh on September 2 told the Bench that the representatives went to Agra prison where according to Jammu and Kashmir government one Pakistani national Bisharat Ali Rajput was detained. However, the jail authorities informed that no such prisoners were detained there.

The Bench then asked the government to furnish by the next date of hearing details of the prisons in which these Pakistani nationals have been detained.

On the detention orders, the Bench observed that "The state of Jammu and Kashmir is issuing orders here and there after petitions were filed in the apex court."

PTI