A leading Pakistani archaeologist observed on Sunday that the Persian Gulf region in ancient times was referred to by the same name and even included the eastern part of the Hormuz Strait extending to the western and northeastern parts of the Indian sub-continent.

"While the eastern borders of the Achaemenid Empire reached the Sindh Valley, where it met the western borders of the Chinese Empire, the greater Persian Gulf or Sea of Persia' region, which was ruled by the Achaemenid king of kings, covered the present Persian Gulf region as well as the northwest and parts of the sub-continent down to Bombay," Professor Ahmed Hasan Dani told IRNA.

The retired professor of international repute said that in addition to the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf, the western and southern coasts were also conquered by the Achaemenid kings and their local rulers were subjected to pay taxes to King Darius and King Cyrus.

The leading archaeologist expressed surprise over the publication of an atlas by a Western magazine publisher calling the sea "Arabian Gulf" instead of Persian Gulf, adding that geographical or scientific publications should not be affected by political or racial motivations.

Historical facts, Prof. Dani remarked, cannot be ignored and any attempt to manipulate facts will negatively affect the institution's reputation.