PESHAWAR, Oct 22: The immigration authorities at Peshawar airport on Saturday arrested an Afghan national who had travelled to Saudi Arabia on Pakistani passport few years ago and returned on Afghani passport, said a senior official.

Liaqat Khan, son of Bacha Rawan, a resident of Kabul, landed at Peshawar airport by Gulf Air’s flight No GF-781 from Riyadh and went to the immigration counter for checking his travel documents, said Assistant Director Immigration Cell Inamullah Khan Gandapur.

The on-duty immigration official Anila Naz was surprised to see page No 11 of his Afghani passport No OR-489697, wherein it was mentioned that Liaqat Khan was holding Pakistani passport before the Afghan consulate in Riyadh issued him the new one.

He had travelled to Saudi Arabia on Pakistani passport No G-865140 issued on Sept 18, 1999. But the Afghan consulate in Riyadh issued him Afghani passport despite the fact that Liaqat Khan was holding a Pakistani passport and he had travelled on it, said Mr Gandapur.

A large number of Afghan nationals had gone to Gulf countries for jobs on fake Pakistani travel documents. But it was the first case that the Afghan consulate issued Afghani passport to its national who travelled on fake Pakistani travel documents in the past.

“It must be investigated that why the Afghan consulate in Riyadh has issued Afghani passport to a persons who was holding Pakistani passport. And how many passports the consulate has issued so far to the Afghans who had travelled to Saudi Arabia on fake Pakistani passports,” said the assistant director of FIA immigration cell.

The immigration cell handed over the case to the FIA passport cell, which started investigation after the registration of a case.

Meanwhile, the same official at the immigration counter arrested a resident of Bannu on his return from Riyadh by Saudi Airlines flight No SV-794 on Saturday, Mr Gandapur maintained.

He added that Inayatullah Khan, son of Gul Shahjehan, came to the immigration staff for his passport checking. But Anila Naz found that the picture on his passport No KE-190612 was changed.

During the interrogation, the accused disclosed that his name was Asmatullah, son of Guldaraz Khan, a resident of Bannu district and confessed of changing picture on the passport.

He was also sent to the FIA passport circle. A case had been registered against him, the official said.