Arrested Pak students' remand likely to be extended

London, Apr. 21 (ANI): The police remand of the 10 Pakistani students detained on the suspicion of being involved in Manchester terror plots, which expires on April 22, is likely to be extended by another 14 days.

According to the Dawn, UK authorities are only sharing partial information on the progress of the investigations with Pakistan High Commission officials.

"They provided us with only partial consular access," the Pakistan High Commission sources said, adding that the HC now knows the names of all the arrested students and their antecedents.

Meanwhile, UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made a statement on the matter for the first time in the House of Commons.

"I am sure that honourable members will understand why I cannot go into detail on the investigation or the individuals involved.

"These arrests were pre-planned as the result of an ongoing joint police and security service investigation. The decision to take action was an operational matter for the police and the security service, but the prime minister and I were kept fully informed of developments," she added.

Smith also indicated that Britain will be more cautious about giving student visas to Pakistani students who could be involved in destructive activities.

"In posts that we have classified as high risk, like Pakistan, we have a risk management network that helps ensure the right visa decisions are made, for example by working with the local authorities to ensure that the qualifications of prospective students are independently verified," she said.

Under tier 4 of the Points Based System, educational institutions that wish to bring in international students for more than six months must now be accredited by an independent body and licensed y the UK Border Agency. (ANI)