New Delhi, May 3 -- The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection to a family of six from deportation to Pakistan, allowing them time to remain in the country till authorities verify their claims of surrendering their Pakistani passport and possessing Indian identity documents. A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh without fixing any specific timeline asked the authorities to verify the identity documents such as passports, Aadhaar card, pan card, etc., of the family and other relevant facts, which are brought to their notice. "In the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, authorities may not take coercive action till an appropriate decision is taken. If petitioners are dissatisfied by the final decision, they can approach J&K&L HC. Order not to be treated as precedent," the bench said. The order came days after the central government issued a directive on April 25 saying that visas granted to Pakistani nationals stood revoked with effect from April 27. The petitioner, Ahmed Tarek Butt, said he is an Indian national with a valid Indian passport, Aadhaar card, voter I-card and other documents issued in India. He informed the court that his family has been detained and taken to the Wagah border to be deported to Pakistan. Butt's lawyer, Nanda Kishore, informed the court that he was granted visa on his arrival in India in 1987. Butt, then, surrendered his Pakistani passport and was issued an Indian passport. His two sons work in Bengaluru, and his wife and daughter are residents of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. "Since the factual plea taken by the petitioner requires verification by authorities, including the genuineness of documents, without expressing any opinion on merits, we dispose the petition with a direction to the authorities to verify documents or any relevant facts brought to the notice of the authorities," the court said, without setting a specific timeline. "Let the appropriate decision be taken at the earliest," it said. The government, represented by solicitor general Tushar Mehta, however, said that the family of six had overstayed it visa. "Let them approach the authorities. I do not wish to raise an objection now, but once you overstay in India, you are not entitled to protection. Let this not become a precedent," Mehta said. The petitioners' lawyer said that a "shocking" situation had arisen as the family, having valid Indian documents, has been told to leave the country in two days. "This petition urges the court to protect our life and liberty. We are at the threshold of being thrown out of the country even though we are Indian nationals. Admittedly, our Indian passports have not been revoked," he said. The court said that it was more appropriate for the petitioners to approach the J&K high court which is better equipped to get their documents verified. The order said, "If the petitioners are dissatisfied by the final decision passed by the authorities, liberty is granted to them to approach the J&K high court."...