Pakistan 'arrests five Britons at Islamabad airport'

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Pakistan 'arrests five Britons at Islamabad airport'

Five British nationals of Pakistani origin were being questioned last night after they were arrested while behaving suspiciously at Islamabad airport, Pakistani government officials claimed on Tuesday night.

By Dean Nelson and Javed Siddq in Islamabad
Published: 6:28PM GMT 19 Jan 2010

They were arrested along with five Pakistani nationals after they were allegedly seen swapping boarding cards, the officials said.

However, a spokesman for the Foreign Office said that no British nationals had been arrested.

According to a Pakistan immigration official, five British nationals were booked onto a flight to Manchester, believed to be operated by local airline Air Blue, while the Pakistani nationals were due to board a flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The ten had already completed immigration and security checks, including having their photographs taken, and were in the departure lounge when they were arrested, the officials said.

A Foreign office spokesman said there was no indication that the incident was terrorism-related, while other sources suggested the motivation for swapping boarding cards was more likely to be illegal immigration into Britain by the Pakistani nationals.

"We're investigating their motives," said a Pakistan interior ministry official.