Shahid Afridi blames India for Pahalgam; netizens call it awful
What's the story
Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has sparked social media outrage with his recent comments on the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The attack last week killed at least 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to local Pakistani media, the ex-Pakistani men's cricket team captain said, "India carries out terrorism itself, is responsible for killing its own people, and then puts the blame on Pakistan."
Naturally, his comments left netizens fuming.
Criticism
He went on to call Indian Army 'useless'
In another interview for SamaaTV, Afridi slammed India for blaming Pakistan for everything. He asked for proof of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam attack and slammed Indian media for sensationalizing the incident.
"You have an eight lakh-strong army in Kashmir, yet this happened. This means you are useless, not being able to provide security to people."
He was surprised by how quickly Indian media allegedly turned the incident into a Bollywood-like spectacle.
Online backlash
'He was a good player but...'
Afridi's statement on the Pahalgam attack invited a lot of ire from netizens.
One Instagram user wrote: "Ye player to achcha hai par Aadmi bahut Ghatiya hai (He was a good player but is a cheap person)."
Another user called Afridi "awful" and tagged him a "failed cricketer."
A third user sarcastically said that since Afridi failed to read a cricket pitch correctly, he shouldn't try to understand military operations.
Twitter Post
People questioned why Centre hadn't banned Afridi's YouTube channel yet
Why hasn’t India banned YouTube Channel of this lowlife thug and Pakistan Army’s salve Shahid Afridi? He is known to receive money from Pakistan Army to do their propaganda and defend Islamist terrorist against civilians. pic.twitter.com/57q03da0Og
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 28, 2025
Investigation update
NIA takes charge of Pahalgam terror attack investigation
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The agency is questioning eyewitnesses to piece together events leading to one of Kashmir's worst terror attacks in recent years.
The NIA teams are closely examining entry and exit points for clues about the terrorists' modus operandi.
They are also conducting a thorough search of the area for evidence related to this horrific attack.