Senior advocate and Aam Aadmi Party leader HS Phoolka on Wednesday questioned the seriousness of the SAD-BJP led Punjab Government over the issue of release of Sikh prisoners. “The hearing in the Supreme Court, five-Judge Bench has started on July 21. The State of Tamil Nadu has engaged top most Senior Advocate but unfortunately for Punjab Government, no Senior Advocate has appeared before the Supreme Court…It appears that Badal Government intentionally wants to lose this case to wash off its hands from this issue,” he alleged. Phoolka said that the hearing in the case was still going on. “I appeal to the people to impress upon the Badal Government to engage some top most lawyer to defend the powers of the Punjab Government to decide about remission of sentence of prisoners.” Presently, Supreme Court order dated July 9, 2014, granted stay against state governments from granting remission on sentence, he said, adding that, however, there was no bar against the Central Government from granting this remission. “Badal Government can always recommend to the Central Government for remission and it can grant remission,” he said.