LAHORE, June 27: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over a report submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about verification of nationality of Pakistani detainees at Bagram jail, Afghanistan.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan observed that the ministry had miserably failed to comply with court orders and directed the ministry’s director on Afghanistan affairs to appear before the court along with complete record related to the Pakistani detainees at Bagram.

The ministry in its report had stated that letters had been sent to the families of 25 detainees and a list of their names was provided to the Ministry of Interior for confirmation.

The judge expressed his wonder that the ministry remained unable to compile such basic details for Pakistanis who had already spent several years in Bagram. Justice Khan went on to say that the ministry lacked sympathy for Pakistani detainees and their families and warned its counsel that he (judge) would not hesitate from holding all ministry officials accountable.

The judge adjourned till July 13 hearing of a petition for Pakistani citizens’ release from Bagram jail.

Sultana Noon, a representative of the non-profit law firm -- Justice Project Pakistan, a fellow of Reprieve (a UK-based organisation) in Pakistan, filed this petition. The petitioner submitted that the citizens had been detained in Bagram jail without any charge or trial since 2003. She alleged that they were abducted from Pakistan and shifted to the notorious US prison in Afghanistan. — Staff Reporter