British man charged after boarding plane in Pakistan with rifle

Mohammed Rafiq was travelling back to the UK via Dubai when he was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, which serves the capital Islamabad.

Police found a .222 calibre rifle and ammunition in his luggage, and initially feared he was planning a terrorist attack.

However, Deputy Inspector General Azhar Hameed Khokhar, who heads security in Rawalpindi, where the airport is located, said police had found no evidence of a terrorist plot.

"We are confident it has nothing to with terrorism. He was arrested at the airport by security officers when he was found to have a rifle in his bag," he said.

"He claims it was packed by mistake by his relatives.
"We have investigated his background and can find no connection to terrorist groups."

It is understood that Mr Rafiq had been in Pakistan visiting relatives in Kashmir and was due to fly home with Emirates to Manchester.

He has been charged with holding a weapon without a licence and released on bail, said Mr Khokhar.

A security consultant in Islamabad said Mr Rafiq had a lucky escape.

"Of all the places to get caught like that, Pakistan is one of the worst," he said. "It looks pretty bad."

Pakistan's terrorist training camps along the border with Afghanistan attract young Jihadis from Europe and have been connected repeatedly with several plots against Western targets.

Last year one of Britain's most wanted terrorists, Ibrahim Adam was killed in a drone strike soon after warnings that he was trying to secure a passport and might to return to Britain to launch attacks.

But at the same time, arms and ammunition are widely available at gunships in towns and cities and many people carry guns for their own personal protection.

And earlier this year an American diplomat was arrested with 13 bullets in his luggage at Peshawar airport as he prepared to fly to Islamabad.

Diplomatic sources said the close protection officer, who was routinely armed, had simply blundered as he packed for an early morning flight. He was released within hours.

A spokeswoman for the British High Commission said Mr Rafiq had not requested consular assistance.