Pakistan to deport Afghans with fake travel papers

KARACHI, Feb 9 (Reuters) Pakistani authorities will deport nearly 300 elderly Afghans arrested after they were sent to Pakistan from the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia where they were found to be travelling on fake documents.

Pakistani immigration authorities have arrested about 900 Afghans since the middle of last month after they were deported from Saudi Arabia.

They were all found to be travelling on fake Pakistani travel permits issued to pilgrims wishing to make the Haj pilgrimage.

Senior immigration official Abdul Malik today said 293 of the Afghans 165 men and 128 women -- were being sent back to Afghanistan because they were elderly.

''The rest will face trial for illegally obtaining Pakistani passports,'' he said.

Malik said the Afghans were believed to have obtained the fake travel documents in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta.

It was not immediately clear why the Afghans had not travelled to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage from Afghanistan, with proper Afghan documents.

Reuters SY GC1718