Mohammed Asif of Karachi and Mohammed Rafiq Haji of Multan have already spent about a month in the premises of the police station where they were brought from the Nashik Central Prison after they had completed their term there.

Police Inspector A J Rajmane from Borivali police station said, “They are not ordinary Pakistani nationals and are under watch. The Pakistani government is yet to intimate us about their deportation.”

Incidentally, two of their co-accused in the case are also accused in the case of hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar in 1999. Abdul Latif and Bhopal Mal have been sentenced to life imprisonment on February 5.

Makarand Ranade, deputy commissioner of police (Zone XI), said, "We cannot co-operate with you (regarding information and interviewing the accused). We are still awaiting orders from the Central government. The special branch is handling the matter.”

When an officer of the special branch was contacted, he said, “This is a matter of national security. We cannot talk about it.” Asif and Haji were arrested on December 30, 1999 along with Latif, Mal and Mustaq Azmi. As per the Crime Branch case, two months before the hijack — on October 6, 1999 — the four accused had stolen a Maruti Van from Orlem in Malad and used it for the Rs 7-lakh robbery at the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank in Borivali. The crime branch, as per the chargesheet, also found them in possession of two AK-56 rifles, seven grenades and four rocket launcher missiles that were intended “to endanger life of persons or to cause injury to property in India.”