A father has been reunited with his baby daughter after Home Office officials reversed their decision to prevent her returning to the UK.

The PhD student known only as Arshad said his wife and 10-month-old daughter were left stranded in Pakistan after visiting family in February because the Home Office claimed the child's birth certificate failed to prove she was born in the UK or that he is her father.

The birth certificate, issued by Glasgow City Council, shows Umaima Khan was born to the couple in the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on December 6 last year.

The 28-year-old studies electrical engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University and has a tier-four student visa on which he sponsors his wife Lubna as a dependent.

He expected to be able to sponsor his daughter in the same way and was left devastated by the decision in August to deny her entry, meaning they lost the return flights they had booked.

After Arshad went public and politicians took up his case, the Home Office reversed its decision and granted his daughter a visa.

Umaima and her mother arrived back in the UK on Tuesday night and Arshad travelled to Manchester Airport to collect them.

He said: "It was amazing that they came back last night. The last two months have been quite depressing and dispiriting but I'm happy that it has worked out now.

"The Home Office granted Umaima a visa last week. My university and MP and the First Minister contacted the Home Office regarding my case and the Home Office emailed me asking me to send her passport to the High Commission in Islamabad."

Arshad said he then submitted the same application as previously and it was accepted.

He added: "If I hadn't gone to the media and the politicians and my university hadn't taken up the case I don't know if the Home Office would have accepted my reapplication.

"I'm very happy at the moment just getting to spend some time with my wife and daughter."

The family are now making plans to celebrate Umaima's first birthday next month, a milestone that her father had feared he would miss as work commitments prevented him from travelling to Pakistan.