On Tuesday, April 22, Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a terrorist attack. Tragically, 26 tourists lost their lives, with several others wounded. The nation is engulfed in grief and anger, demanding firm action against the attackers and their masterminds.
Owaisi Criticizes Afridi
In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, former Pakistani cricket captain Shahid Afridi irresponsibly pointed fingers at India, making baseless accusations. Afridi claimed that the Indian army was to blame for the deadly attack in Pahalgam and suggested that they were unable to protect their citizens from terrorists.
Now, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, has vocally criticized Shahid Afridi. Owaisi referred to Afridi as a ‘joker.’ When asked about Afridi's remarks, Owaisi tersely responded, stating not to mention his name. He urged the Indian government to consider placing Pakistan on the FATF list.
Asaduddin Owaisi did not hold back from addressing Pakistan Peoples Party's chairman Bilawal Bhutto either. Speaking to journalists, Owaisi highlighted, ‘When your mother (Benazir Bhutto) is attacked, it is called terrorism. But when our mothers and daughters are killed, why isn't that terrorism?’
Related: 'Indus River Will Remain Ours, Our Water Will Flow, Their Blood'—Bilawal Bhutto's Threats
Shahid Afridi, speaking to Pakistani news channel Samaa TV, remarked, ‘If even a firecracker goes off in India, they blame Pakistan. You have 800,000 troops in Kashmir, and still, such incidents happen. It means you are ineffective, unable to ensure safety for people.’
Afridi further commented, expressing disbelief at how quickly the media transformed into ‘Bollywood’ in just an hour after the attack. He cautioned against dramatizing everything. Afridi criticized those calling themselves educated and mentioned the two cricketers who, despite playing a lot for India, directly accuse Pakistan.
Afridi's History of Controversy
Shahid Afridi has often been embroiled in controversies over his statements against India. During his playing days, Afridi was notably criticized for age-related controversies. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Afridi was born on March 1, 1980, making him 45 years old. However, in 2019, Afridi revealed that he was not 16 years old when he scored a record century off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996. Afridi's career saw him take 48 Test wickets, and he holds records of 395 wickets in ODIs and 98 in T20 Internationals. Additionally, Afridi amassed over 10,000 runs in international cricket.
