New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) In a significant judgement, the Supreme Court Tuesday directed the government to immediately release 54 Pakistani nationals who are languishing in Indian jails despite completing their sentences and their national status having been established.

An apex court bench of Justices R.M. Lodha and H.L. Gokhale said the deportation in respect of these prisoners should be completed within one month from Tuesday.

The court said its order holds good for five similarly placed prisoners belonging to Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Iran.

Slamming the government for its failure to show concern and urgency to the prisoners’ right to personal liberty, the court said, “We should honour the UN charter on human rights and the commitment we gave to ourselves to uphold liberty under Article 21 of the constitution.”

A list of 365 Pakistani prisoners was given by the Indian government to the apex court Nov 28, 2011, a number of whom completed their sentences long ago.