Ex-Pakistani cricket captain Shahid Afridi was a new thorn in the media after blaming India squarely for inciting violence against their people after the recent terror strike in the city of Pahalgam in Kashmir. In an interview with the Pakistani media, Afridi criticized the Indian government along with the army. but went out of its way to state that Islam is a peaceful religion and that it promotes peaceful living, and that Pakistan is not a terror practitioner.

Afridi narrated this after a cold-blooded terrorist attack at Pahalgam's Baisaran meadows, where at least 26 individuals, including some tourists, were martyred. Afridi was amazed to learn how, despite having numerous Indian soldiers always deployed in Kashmir, the terrorists kept firing for nearly an hour without any interruption.

"Islam Teaches Only Peace," Says Afridi

When accused by the media, Afridi said Pakistan and Islam never sympathized with violence but believe in peace. "No nation and no religion believes in terrorism. Islam is a religion that instructs us to have faith in peaceful living, and Pakistan also believes in peaceful living," he said.

"You have always cherished the hope of friendly relations between our countries, and it pains me that matters of distinction and accusation still happen between us," he continued.

Afridi insisted that Pakistan had always sought to utilize the hand of friendship, even diplomatic frolicking. He swore, nonetheless, that India permits sporting sides like kabaddi squads but opposes whenever cricketing relationships move into prominence.

Accuses India of Shifting Blame

Afridi accused the Indian government of blaming Pakistan for the attack. "India itself is into terrorism, is killing its people and blaming that on Pakistan," he claimed.

He targeted the Indian army's response time head-on, saying that if this large-scale deployment of troops in Kashmir had been undertaken, then it took over an hour for Indian soldiers to respond to the kill attack. "Where were the 8 lakh soldiers during the hour-long attack?" he demanded.

Afridi’s comments echoed a narrative often pushed by Pakistan’s political circles, alleging that India manipulates narratives to blame external elements while ignoring internal issues.

Indian Media's Coverage Criticized

Afridi was also not liberal in his censure of the Indian media. Afridi mocked the Indian media's reporting of the Pahalgam tragedy and charged them with exaggerating the tragedy. In an interview to Samaa TV, he quoted, "It is surprising that within an hour of the attack, the Indian media created a Bollywood drama out of it. For God's sake, do not make everything entertainment."

Afridi added in humor, that he had been astonished at "the frenzy" of the media, as he was sorry for national complacency at a time of crisis.

Call for True Sporting Spirit

Afridi concluded by calling for a sportsman spirit between the two nations. He added that there must be a centre of sports diplomacy as a bridge and not as a casualty between India and Pakistan because of political divergence.

"Either embrace sport wholly or close it down wholly," Afridi said. "But if you let sport flourish, then it can do something very big in bringing people together."