Afghan Girl From 1985 National Geographic Cover Found In Pakistan With Fake ID
The Afghan girl with the stunning eyes, made famous in a 1985 National Geographic, cover was found with a fake ID in Pakistan.
Almost three decades ago, the Afghan girl — who was approximately 12-years-old at the time — became instantly famous because of her unusual eyes and brought attention to the desperate situation the Afghan refugees found themselves in. Forced out of their homes by the raging war and into Pakistan, many have overstayed their welcome.
A new picture of Sharbat Gula has surfaced and it shows how time and her situation has changed the Afghan girl into a regular middle-aged woman. The problem is that Gula’s computerized national identity card (CNIC) should have never been issued in the first place, as she was considered an illegal immigrant.
According to several news reports, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) officials in Peshawar, Pakistan issued Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) to the Afghan woman, now known as Sharbat Bibi and two men — who are said to be her sons. The sources reveal top officials at the agency issued three IDs on a single day in 2014, to the now 46-year-old Sharbat Bibi, wife of Rehmat Gul, and her two sons Rauf and Wali Khan, in violation of rules and regulations.
Photographer Steve McCurry captured the haunting eyes of the Afghan girl in the unforgettable cover photo, when he visited the Pakistani refugee camp in 1985. The then-unidentified young woman became known in National Geographic as the “Afghan girl.”
In January of 2002 a team from National Geographic’s EXPLORER took McCurry back to Pakistan in search for the Afghan girl with green eyes. They began their search in the same refugee camp where he found her in 1985 and finally located her in Afghanistan. As soon as she walked in the room, he knew it was her.
Sharbat has been living in the refugee camp in Peshawar since 1984 and according to the NADRA form, she is a permanent resident of Peshawar’s Nothia Qadeem area. One of her relatives says she travels between both countries depending on the security situation.
NADRA officials have not commented on the matter relating the National Geographic Afghan girl. However, an inquiry has been open to investigate why officials issued CNICs to foreign nationals without legitimate documentation.
As a registered refugee in Pakistan, the so-called Afghan girl can obtain a document called a Proof of Registration to remain in the country legally.
[Image via National Geographic]
