Her portrait was published on the magazine’s cover the following year, and helped to raise awareness and millions in aid for displaced Afghans.

But many Pakistanis now feel the Afghan refugees have outstayed their welcome, and officials have stepped up their efforts to close the camps and clamp down on those with false identity cards. Aid programmes are being scaled back, and temporary legal residency for many is due to expire in March next year.

Despite the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are resurgent and Isil had established a nascent presence, nearly 350,000 have travelled back across the border this year alone, according to UNHCR figures.

The UN has described it as the "largest protracted refugee situation globally".

In 2002, McCurry tracked Ms Gula down to a remote part of Afghanistan, where he showed her the photograph - the first time she was ever made aware of its existence.

Ms Gula and the two men are currently being held on 14 days’ judicial remand on corruption charges, and their identity cards have been seized.

Two Pakistani officials who issued the cards have also been charged with fraud, and are out on bail.