The Supreme Court on Thursday said the Union government must grant the request of a few Pakistani prisoners for deportation as they have served their sentence and are not detained under any law or statutory order.

It asked the government to pass the appropriate orders under the Foreigners Act by September 2.

A bench comprising Justice Ruma Pal and Justice P V Reddi observed that if the orders were not passed, the court would be constrained to direct their release.

The judgment was passed in a case pertaining to 14 Pakistanis who have been detained for a long time. Of them, five have been classified as 'security prisoners' and the court has said that it would not interfere in those cases.

The order would be applicable to a few of the nine Pakistani prisoners, detained in jails of Rajasthan, who have served out their sentence and were not detained under any order.

Directing preparation of a chart giving status of each of the nine prisoners, the bench said, "As far as those prisoners concerned who have served out their sentence and not detained under any statutory order, they are entitled to be released."

"They have sought deportation. Their prayer must be granted," it said in its short order, while fixing next hearing of the matter on September 2.