WASHINGTON, Jan 4: The exact number and names of Pakistanis detained by US authorities since the Sept 11 attacks still remain undisclosed, but Pakistan embassy sources here believe that nearly 200 nationals continue to be in custody.

The figure has come down somewhat with the deportation of an estimated 30 Pakistanis in the past one month. Many of the others are reluctant to go back to Pakistan, and are reported to be consulting lawyers to fight their cases. This could mean delays.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has told consular officials that it hopes to complete its inquiries into all non-controversial cases by the end of this month. “Non-controversial” presumably defines cases that relate to immigration and other legal violations, but are not connected to the Sept attacks. Most of the Pakistanis, almost 80 per cent, are being held are said to be suspected of immigration or credit card irregularities.

One 19-year-old Pakistani is in a federal prison. He is said to have used the fax machine in the same establishment that was frequented by Mohammad Atta, the main suicide hijacker.

Pakistan embassy sources say the federal authorities have now provided full consular access to detainees, although they are still reluctant to give an overall figure of the number of those held at the federal level. It is claimed that Pakistanis opting for voluntary deportation are accorded consular help, including facilitation with Pakistan International Airlines.

Pakistanis are among over a thousand people of Mideast or South Asian descent detained following the security sweep launched after the Sept attacks, and even the names of many of the detainees remain a secret. This has caused concern among civil rights groups, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) last month wrote to diplomats of several countries to offer aid to people detained by the US government.

In a letter, the ACLU said: “We are particularly interested in highlighting instances of abuse by our government and in developing systematic litigation to challenge its unconstitutional practices.”

Apart from detentions, the federal authorities had also recently carried out questioning of almost 5,000 foreigners, mostly of Middle Eastern origin and overwhelmingly Muslims, across the US. The authorities had sought “voluntary cooperation” in the unusual undertaking, but the move had nevertheless been questioned as impinging on individual freedoms.

According to newspaper reports, nothing of substance that would provide leads to the Sept attacks has emerged as a result of the interrogations, which were said to have passed off smoothly.