Owaisi Slams Shahid Afridi Over Pahalgam Attack Remark, Calls for Tougher International Action on Pakistan

New Delhi, April 29, 2025: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has sharply criticised former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi for his comments blaming the Indian Army following the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking to the media, Owaisi called Afridi a “joker” and dismissed his allegations against Indian forces, stating that Pakistan itself must be held accountable for supporting terrorism.

Shahid Afridi, during a Pakistani TV show on Samaa TV, had remarked that the terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians and injured several others, exposed the inefficiency of India’s 800,000-strong security forces deployed in Kashmir. “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,” Afridi had said.

Responding strongly, Owaisi said Afridi’s statements were irresponsible and aimed at misleading people. He demanded that Pakistan be reinstated on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list for its continued support to terror outfits. Owaisi also urged the international community to consider naval and air force blockades against Pakistan under international law.

“Article 51 of the United Nations Charter gives us the right to defend ourselves against such acts of terrorism. Also, under Article 355 of our Constitution, the Indian government is duty-bound to protect states against external aggression,” said Owaisi.

He further pointed out that Pakistan’s history of harboring terrorists is globally known and stressed that such comments from public figures like Afridi only embolden terror sympathisers.

Owaisi’s remarks echo growing anger in India after the Pahalgam attack, which authorities linked to Pakistan-backed terror groups. The incident has significantly strained Indo-Pak relations, with India taking strong diplomatic measures and reinforcing counter-terrorism efforts.

Earlier, former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria had also criticised Afridi, accusing him of aligning himself with extremist views.

The Indian government continues its probe into the Pahalgam attack, with security forces and intelligence agencies ramping up operations to identify and neutralize the network behind it.