Veteran actor Bushra Ansari has become the latest celebrity to raise her voice for the rescue and safe return of Pakistani mariners who have been held captive by pirates since April 21.
In a reel on her Instagram account, Ansari said, “I’ve been hearing for about two months now that Somali pirates had captured our compatriots along with some Indians and Bangladeshis. These men who left their homes to work hard for their families are in dire straits.”
The actor said she had seen a few clips on the internet and thought the seamen must have been rescued by now, “Obviously, all their countries must be making efforts for their safe return, but how do we actually save their lives? Their children, their families are so worried.”
Talking about the squalid conditions the hostages are kept in, Ansari said she had seen videos of them drinking visibly unsafe water and was worried if they were able to charge their phones to maintain contact with their loved ones.
“Please, take this seriously. It’s a matter of life or death… I was under the impression this had been resolved, but then I saw a clip of this little girl who was missing her dad, my heart hurts so much [for her],” the actor said.
Ansari said these men had gone to sea to earn an honest living; they weren’t trying to break the law or immigrate illegally.
She requested the Foreign Office to “please do something for them” because it didn’t seem fair to these hard-working men and the families they left behind at home. “Maybe one of them is sick, God forbid… We don’t know” she worried.
Eleven Pakistani sailors were part of the crew of the MT Honour 25 which was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in April. Foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that Islamabad had been in touch with the vessel’s owners and the government of Somalia to secure the crew’s release during a press briefing last week.
He recalled that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had been in touch with the Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali over the issue.
A statement from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs on June 8 also said they remained in touch with the foreign ministry and the embassy of Somalia to facilitate rescue efforts.
Cover photo: Fahim Siddiqi/White Star
