Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Sunday took notice of a woman and her daughter, allegedly of Pakistani nationality, languishing in Indian jails since 2012.

Rubeena, now in her late twenties, had allegedly visited Delhi in November 2012 for the treatment of asthma. She had been accompanied by her husband and four-month-old daughter.

According to her account, her husband abandoned Rubeena in Delhi and disappeared with their money, her passport and visa, reported the Hindustan Times.

Rubeena is said to be a resident of Musa Colony in Hyderabad.

Nisar has issued directions to the director passports and chairman National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to verify the whereabouts of the woman on an emergency basis, a spokesperson for the interior ministry said.

Nisar has directed the authorities to complete the task within 48 hours. He has also ordered his ministry to approach the foreign ministry and take measures to bring her back "if she is proven to be a Pakistani citizen."

The Hindustan Times report quoted human rights lawyer Mir Shafaqat, who is fighting Rubeena's case in an Indian court, as saying that he met her accidentally during a visit to Jammu’s Kot Bhalwal Jail in 2014. The mother-daughter duo is currently lodged in Jammu’s Amphalla jail.

“Taking pity on the plight of the mother and daughter, some people in Delhi contributed from their pockets and asked her to go to Wagah border but [she] was not allowed to travel by Pakistani authorities for lack of proper documents.

"Some people then told her to go to Jammu where she was arrested by security forces at Kanachak on November 6, 2012 and was booked under section 14 of the Foreigners’ Act (foreigner travelling without documents),” Shafaqat was quoted as saying.