Photographer McCurry pledges support for Afghan girl

Photographer of famed Afghan girl, Steve McCurry, has raised concerns about her arrest and pledged to do everything possible to provide legal and financial support for her and her family.

“Two hours ago, I got word from a friend in Peshawar, Pakistan, that Sharbat Gula has been arrested. We are doing everything we can to get the facts by contacting our colleagues and friends in the area,” Steve McCurry wrote in a Facebook post.

"I object to this action by the authorities in the strongest possible terms. She has suffered throughout her entire life, and her arrest is an egregious violation of her human rights," McCurry added.

Sharbat Gula was arrested yesterday for living in Pakistan on fraudulent identity papers.

The haunting image of the green-eyed Afghan woman became a symbol of her country's plight 30years ago when her photo as a 12 year old girl appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine.

McCurry’s coverage of the Russia invasion of Afghanistan won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad, an award dedicated to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise.