Afghan Girl From Iconic National Geographic Cover Faces 14 Years in Prison

Pakistan's Inam Khan, owner of a book shop shows a copy of a magazine with the photograph of Afghan refugee woman Sharbat Gulla, from his rare collection in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. A Pakistani investigator says the police have arrested National Geographic's famed green-eyed 'Afghan Girl' for having a fake Pakistani identity card. Shahid Ilyas from the Federal Investigation Agency, says the police arrested Sharbat Gulla during a raid on Wednesday at a home in Peshawar. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

An Afghan woman whose image became known around the world after she was featured on the cover of the National Geographic magazine over 30 years ago has been arrested by Pakistani officials, according to local reports.

Sharbat Gula was taken into custody by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Oct. 26 after a lengthy investigation in Peshawar, reportedly uncovered that she'd been residing in Pakistan illegally. 

Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported that in 2014, Gula had allegedly applied for a fake Pakistani identification card under the name “Sharbat Bibi.” On the application, she allegedly listed her date of birth as “Jan 1, 1969” and stated that she resided at Talab Road, Nauthia Qadeem, Mohallah Mast Gul, Peshawar.