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Amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, renowned writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his dismay at the comments made by General Asim Munir, the Army chief of the neighbouring country, just days before the Pehalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people. In response to the attack, India had launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Both the countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10 after four days of intense fighting.
General Asim Munir had said, “Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different…” General Munir’s provocative speech by was viewed by New Delhi as having encouraged the terrorists.
In an interview with lawyer and politician Kapil Sibal, Javed Akhtar stressed that India doesn’t want to vilify the average Pakistani citizen, but criticised comments made by their ‘representatives’ as ‘insensitive’. He said, “No country is a monolith. Every citizen of a country can’t be the same. If a country’s government is bad, then its impact will first be first on its own citizen… Our issue should only be with the government, the army, and the extremists. Our full sympathy should be with the innocents who are suffering because of them.”
Describing the situation as ‘tragic’ for common Pakistanis, many of whom he considers friends, Akhtar continued, “I watched their army chief’s speech on YouTube. What an insensitive man he seemed to be. Sure, abuse Indians if you feel we’re evil, but why are you abusing Hindus? Doesn’t he realise that there is a population of Hindus in Pakistan as well? Shouldn’t you respect your own people? What sort of man are you? What are you even saying? You have no sense.” Akhtar seemed to be referring to comments made by General Asim Munir, who had said, “Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different…”
He continued, “One of their missiles is called Abdali. Abdali attacked Muslims! He’s your hero? What about the people who were born on your soil? You are hailing an invader? Do you have any concept of history? Their issue is that their history and geography are incompatible. The communities they describe as their own want nothing to do with them. Several Arab countries have banned Pakistanis from getting visas. It’s like some boy on the streets of Delhi saying he knows Shah Rukh Khan. My friend, Shah Rukh Khan doesn’t know who you are! Yeh inka haal hai.”
Akhtar narrated an anecdote to illustrate his point about the Pakistani army not having respect for their own. He said, “Another truth that Pakistanis must face is this: when one of our soldiers dies, we salute him, but when Pakistani soldiers died in Kargil, they didn’t even claim their bodies. It was the Indians who gave them a proper burial. One of our top-ranking soldiers took photographs of their fallen men, had an album made, and presented it to the Pakistanis. They refused to take it. He later accepted it, but unofficially.”
Akhtar, who got a hero’s welcome in Pakistan in 2023, had slammed Islamabad in front of a gathering in Lahore, for sponsoring terrorism. Asked why Indians and Pakistanis can’t get along, Akhtar had reminded the audience that he witnessed the terror caused by Pakistani attackers firsthand during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. In the past, he has also spoken about the lack of respect shown by Pakistanis to Indian artistes over the years.
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