ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its order on a petition bled to facilitate the meeting of Dr Fauzia Siddiqui with her sister, Dr Aafia Siddiqui.

Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, is currently serving an 86-year prison sentence in the United States for attacking American soldiers.

Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi, after hearing the arguments of the petitioner and the federal government reserved its order, which will now be announced on Friday.

In its response to the court, the federal government said it had provided the best possible legal aide to Siddiqui.

Raja Khalid Mehmood, the deputy attorney general (DAG), said that during her trial in the US, the government provided her with three lawyers of her choice.

He said the government also facilitated several meetings between Siddiqui and her family since April 2011, and added that at one point it was Siddiqui herself who refused to meet with her relatives. He assured the court that the government was still ready to facilitate such meetings, but cannot issue any dictation to the US.

During the hearing, Mr Qureshi claimed that the jail authorities where Siddiqui was being detained did not facilitate telephonic contact between her and her family.

He said Siddiqui had not spoken to her family over the telephone for over two years.

He asked that the court ask the prime minister to speak to President Barack Obama to facilitate a meeting. Siddiqui was put on trial in the US after being held in Afghanistan, and was sentenced to 86 years for attempted murder in 2010.