Hijack plane returns to Afghanistan from Britain

ISLAMABAD, March 3 (Reuters) - An Afghan Boeing 727 which was hijacked to London last month arrived in Afghanistan on Friday, an airline chief executive told the private Afghan news service.

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said the Ariana airline plane flew from London's Stansted airport to the northern town of Mazar-i-Sharif, its original destination from Kabul when it was commandeered on February 6.

AIP quoted Mulla Hameed Ullah, chairman of Ariana, as saying the aircraft was supposed to arrive at Kabul international airport on Friday but was diverted to Mazar-i-Sharif due to bad weather.

The plane was flown back by the same crew which was on board when it was hijacked and taken to Britain on February 7 and where the hijack drama ended after four days.

Of the 170 people aboard the plane when it landed in London, 73 returned to Afghanistan soon after the hijacking ended but several others stayed behind to seek political asylum.

Britain allowed two of the applicants to stay but rejected 27 other claims for asylum and postponed judgment on a further 14 cases. Fourteen have been charged with hijacking offences.

Hameed Ullah said none of the passengers, whose asylum claim was rejected by the British authorities, returned on the flight from Britain.

A spokeswoman for a London-based refugee support group said on Thursday those whose applications have been rejected would appeal the British government's decision.