Shahid Afridi: Pakistan can’t even manage its four provinces, how will it handle Kashmir

Addressing students at the British parliament, the swashbuckling cricketer said Kashmir should neither go to India nor Pakistan and vouched for its independence.

Shahid Afridi during the T20 World Cup in India

Shahid Afridi said Kashmir should neither go to India nor Pakistan. (File)

Not averse to voicing his opinion on the Kashmir dispute, former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi on Wednesday said Pakistan was not even being able to handle its four provinces, leave alone Kashmir. Addressing students at the British Parliament, the swashbuckling cricketer said Kashmir should neither go to India nor Pakistan and vouched for its independence.

“Don’t give Kashmir to either Pakistan or India. Let Kashmir be independent. At least ‘insaaniyat‘ will stay alive and the spate of deaths will stop. Pakistan is not being able to handle its four provinces, what will they handle Kashmir. People who are dying there, it is painful. Any death, be it from any community, is painful,” the 38-year-old cricketer said.

Afridi, however, made it clear that he was not yet ready to take the political plunge and was keen on focusing on his charity work. “Don’t want to enter politics now, the focus is now on foundation and charity work,” he said.

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The former cricket captain also listed two demands for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Asserting that Pakistan cannot progress without education, he said the goal of the PTI government should be to take education to remote areas. “Imran Khan should focus on two things — end corruption and see that education reaches remote areas. Remote areas have access to Wifi but lack education. We cannot progress without education,” he said.

My comments are being misconstrued by Indian media! I’m passionate about my country and greatly value the struggles of Kashmiris. Humanity must prevail and they should get their rights.

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) November 14, 2018

However, in an attempt at damage control, Afridi later said his comments were being misconstructed by the Indian media and he valued the struggle by Kashmiris. “My comments are being misconstrued by Indian media! I am passionate about my country and greatly value the struggles of Kashmiris. Humanity must prevail and they should get their rights,” he tweeted.

My clip is incomplete & out of context as what I said before that is missing.Kashmir is unresolved dispute & under brutal Indian occupation. It must be resolved as per UN resolution. Myself along with every Pakistani support Kashmiri freedom struggle. Kashmir belongs to Pakistan.

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) November 14, 2018

In another tweet, he said Kashmir belonged to Pakistan and was under “brutal” Indian occupation. “My clip is incomplete and out of context as what I said before that is missing. Kashmir is unresolved dispute and is under brutal Indian occupation. It must be resolved as per UN resolution. Myself along with every Pakistani support Kashmiri freedom struggle. Kashmir belongs to Pakistan,” he said.

This is, however, not the first time that Afridi has commented on Kashmir. In April, Afridi kicked up a storm and invited wrath from all corners of India after he urged the United Nations to intervene and stop the bloodshed in “India occupied Kashmir.”

In 2016, ahead of a World T20 match in Mohali, he had said, “Many people here are from Kashmir.” He had also faced a backlash from his own country in 2016 after he said that he was showered with more love in India than in Pakistan.

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