New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday granted the central government time to file its reply to the plea of Nikhat Parveen, who has sought to know whereabouts of her husband Fasih Mahmood, a Bihar engineer who went missing from Saudi Arabia since May 13.

An apex court bench of Justice K.S Radhakrishnan and Justice J.S. Khehar directed the matter to be listed June 6 after senior counsel R.P. Bhatt sought two days' time to file the government's response to Nikhat Parveen's petition.

Bhatt appeared for the union ministries of home and external affairs, as well as the Delhi government.

It is an important matter. We want to know the whereabouts of the petitioner's (Nikhat) husband (Fasih Mahmood), the court told senior counsel.

The court said this when Bhatt tried to read from a newspaper a report on Home Minister's P. Chidambaram's press conference Thursday, where the minister said a red corner notice for Fasih Mahmood has been issued.

It is an important matter, don't read from newspaper, the court told Bhatt.

The court said that instead of reading from a newspaper report, he should tell what were his instructions from the government.

Fasih Mahmood, employed as engineer in Saudi Arabia, was allegedly picked up by intelligence agencies from Al Jubal in the Saudi kingdom May 13.

The 35-year-old hails from Barh Saaila village in Darbhanga district of Bihar, about 200 km from Patna. Fasih's father, Dr. Firoz Ahmad, is in charge of the Benipatti primary health centre in Madhubani district. His mother is a school teacher in Darbhanga.