‘Afghan Girl’ Arrested for Fake Identity Documents

The Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan arrested 44-year-old Sharbat Bibi featured in Steve McCurry’s iconic photograph, Afghan Girl, taken in 1984, Scroll writes.

According to the authorities, Bibi is accused of using fake identity documents and corruption: when they searched her, they found she had both Pakistani and Afghani identity cards. It is also reported that three local officials who have allegedly issued Bibi illegal documents have been suspended.

Steve McCurry took the photograph of the ‘Afghan girl’ in a near-border refugee camp located in Pakistan during the war in Afghanistan. The photograph gained world fame when in 1985 it was featured on the cover of National Geographic: it became one of the most recognizable covers of the magazine.