Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has
stirred major controversy with his latest comments blaming the Indian Army
for the recent terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. The attack, one of
the deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama tragedy, left 26 civilians dead and
several others injured.
Speaking to Pakistan’s Samaa TV, Afridi accused India
of failing to protect its own people despite having a massive military presence
in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said,
“Tum logon ki 8 lakh hi fauj hai Kashmir mein aur yeh ho
gaya. Iska matlab nalayak ho, nikamme ho na tum log security de nahi sake logon
ko (You have an 800,000-strong army in Kashmir and this still happened. It
means you are inefficient and useless if you can't provide security to the
people).”
Attack in Pahalgam
On Tuesday, terrorists opened fire on civilians at
the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, South Kashmir. The brutal
attack, reportedly carried out by terrorists from The Resistance Front (TRF)—an
offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) based in Pakistan—sparked
shock and outrage across India and drew strong condemnation globally.
The attack immediately triggered a blame game, with Indian
security forces pointing fingers at Pakistan-based groups for orchestrating the
bloodshed.
Afridi Denies Pakistan’s Role
Afridi, however, defended Pakistan, dismissing allegations
of its involvement.
He said,
"Patakha phat jaata hai wahaan par, Pakistan ne kiya
(Even if a firecracker bursts there, they will blame Pakistan)."
Afridi's remarks were seen as both provocative and
insensitive by many, given the gravity of the terror strike.
Dig at Indian Media and Cricketers
Afridi didn’t stop at criticizing Indian forces; he also
took a swipe at the Indian media, accusing them of dramatizing the tragedy.
He said,
“Hairat hoti hai ki hamle ke ek ghante ke baad hi unka media
Bollywood ban gaya. Khuda ke liye har kuch ko Bollywood mat banao (It's
surprising that within an hour of the attack, their media turned into
Bollywood. For God's sake, don't make everything Bollywood).”
He further mocked the coverage style, saying he was
"astonished and even enjoying" the way Indian news channels reported
on the incident, and questioned their maturity and professionalism.
Without naming anyone directly, Afridi also criticized
prominent Indian cricketers for allegedly blaming Pakistan.
He said,
"Do cricketers jo India se itni cricket khele hue hain.
Ambassadors reh chuke hain, top cricketers reh chuke hain unki taraf se direct
Pakistan (Two cricketers who have played a lot for India, have been
ambassadors, and are top cricketers—yet they directly blame Pakistan)."
His comments appeared to be aimed at former Indian cricket
stars who condemned the attack and pointed towards Pakistan’s continued backing
of cross-border terrorism.
Global Condemnation of the Attack
The Pahalgam attack, reminiscent of the 2019 Pulwama attack
where 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives, has received widespread international
condemnation.
Several global leaders and human rights organizations have called for stringent
action against terror outfits operating from across the border.
Meanwhile, Indian security agencies have launched a massive
search operation in Kashmir to hunt down the perpetrators, and political
leaders have united in demanding justice for the victims.