Nat Geo’s famed Afghan girl whereabouts investigated in Pakistan

“Afghan Girl” by Steve McCurry (Xinhua/Steve McCurry/National Geographic)

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has raided the residence of famous Afghan girl, Sharbat Bibi in Peshawar city of Pakistan.

The raid was conducted at the address provided by Sharbat Bibi in her National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) form.During the raid, Sharbat Bibi was not present at the address provided. However, FIA investigators say they have collected important information regarding the case.

The address provided in the NADRA registration form belongs to Rehmat Gul, husband of Sharbat Bibi, who passed away some years back. Rehmat Gul’s brother and other close relatives have been living in the same locality for the past few years.

A FIA official rejected information provided on the NADRA form as fake. Details of the form had claimed that Sharbat Bibi had two sons. He said Sharbat Bibi has two daughters and a two-year-old son.

The official added that relatives present at the given address have refused to recognize two persons listed as her sons in the form.

Relatives present at the residence also claimed she had moved to Afghanistan some years ago, an official added.

“We do not think she has moved to Afghanistan, it is possible she may have moved to another address in order to avoid the ongoing investigation,” the FIA team added.

“We have interrogated five NADRA officials for allegedly issuing CNIC (Computerized National Identity Card) to Sharbat Bibi and two other men, who had claimed to be her sons,” officials added.

Last year, NADRA issued three CNICs to Sharbat Bibi and two men who claimed to be her sons. Issuance of CNICs was in violation to the rules and procedures of NADRA.

Months later, NADRA’s vigilance department woke up to discover the documents to be fake and ordered cancellation of CNICs of Sharbat and her alleged sons.

Sharbat Bibi became well known with her famous portrait ‘Afghan girl’ by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry, who photographed her at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp situated on the edge of Peshawar in 1984, and identified her as Sharbat Gula.

She gained worldwide recognition when her image was featured on the cover of the June 1985 issue of National Geographic Magazine at a time when she was only 12 years old.