ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The Secretary of the National Assembly, Mehmood Saleem Mehmood, was detained by the British authorities at Heathrow airport on Sunday on suspicion of being drunk and a complaint of sexual assault on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Washington to London.

The incident was reported in the British Telegraph newspaper on Monday and confirmed by the Pakistan Foreign Office here. "Our (Pakistani) High Commission (in UK) was instantly in touch with the concerned British authorities and consular assistance was provided (to the arrested secretary) immediately," Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said when asked about the arrest of Mr Mehmood at Heathrow.

After the Pakistan High Commission in London secured his release, Mr Mehmood returned to Pakistan on Monday and resumed duty. When contacted by Dawn, he said: "The government has taken up the matter with the British authorities."

The Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan High Commission in London facilitated his release after the London Metropolitan police had questioned him on the alleged charges.

A spokesman for the British High Commission in Islamabad refused to comment on the issue saying it was a matter on which only the concerned airline or the Metropolitan police in London could comment.

In its report, the Telegraph quoted passengers as saying that the official has consumed 'vast quantities' of duty-free alcohol. One female passenger had to be moved from her seat and upgraded to business class after she claimed the man attempted to fondle her, the paper said.

A London police spokesman was quoted by the paper as saying: "We can confirm a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk on an aircraft and sexual assault."