Islamabad: Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has asked his country’s government to give up its demand for Kashmir and take care of the area that is already under its control. In comments that are likely to trigger a controversy, Afridi said that Pakistan was demanding that India cede Kashmir when it was not even able to handle even the four provinces it has.
“Pakistan doesn't need Kashmir; it is not able to even handle the four provinces it has,” Afridi told students during an interaction at the British Parliament. The stunning admonishment of the Imran Khan government did not end there as the swashbuckling cricketer said that Pakistan had failed in its efforts to keep the country united and safe from extremists.
During his address, he also said that Kashmir should also not go to India and that he was pained to see that people were dying in the Valley. “Say Pakistan doesn't need Kashmir, don't give it to India as well. Let Kashmir become a country. The people dying there should not die, humanity should stay alive. It pains to see people die there,” he said.
This is not the first time that Afridi has spoken on the Kashmir issue. In April this year, he had slammed India for its policy in the state. “Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self-determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren’t they making efforts to stop this bloodshed? (sic)” he had written on the social media platform. Back in March 2016, the cricketer had also suggested that a lot of Kashmiri fans supported Pakistani cricketers.
