Shahid Afridi up in arms against Indian army for security failure in held Kashmir

Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has strongly criticised the Indian Army following the tragic Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, questioning their ability to provide security and rejecting allegations of Pakistan’s involvement.

Speaking on a private channel, Afridi slammed what he called "baseless accusations" and shifted the focus to the shortcomings of the Indian military, as Indian media quickly blamed Pakistan for the attack.

"A firecracker goes off over there [in Pahalgam], and they [India] say Pakistan did it. You [India] have 800,000 soldiers stationed in Kashmir, and yet this [attack] happened. It means you are incompetent, useless — you couldn’t even provide security to your own people," Afridi bluntly said.

He also demanded proof of Pakistan’s alleged involvement and accused India of orchestrating violence against its own people. "India commits acts of terrorism, kills its own citizens, and then places the blame on Pakistan," he stated, criticising the Indian government and the media's anti-Pakistan narrative built around the incident.

Afridi highlighted, "No nation or religion supports terrorism," reinstating Pakistan's opposition to terrorism. "We are always in favour of peace. Islam simply teaches us to be peaceful, and Pakistan never condones such behaviour."

He also touched upon the broader issue of strained Indo-Pak relations, recalling the atmosphere of hostility during his playing days and making reference to the 2016 T20 World Cup.

"We got a lot of threats before we went to India. I was the captain at the time, and I wasn't sure if we would even participate," he said.

"Sports diplomacy is also good," Afridi stated, pointing out the important role sports can play in diplomacy.

"They are unable to bring their cricket squad here, so they send their kabaddi team. You can either let sport unite people or shut it down entirely if you want to," he added.

Tensions between Pakistan and India have intensified after militants opened fire at a well-known tourist site, killing at least 26 individuals and wounding several more.

The attack happened on April 22 at Pahalgam, a popular destination in Indian-occupied Kashmir that welcomes thousands of tourists each year.