Kerala community faces backlash for warmly welcoming Shahid Afridi at Dubai event – Video goes viral

A Kerala community in Dubai has faced massive social media backlash for warmly welcoming former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi during a recent event. The netizens have bashed the group present there for their hospitality to Afridi despite his anti-India remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack in India’s Kashmir late last month, where 26 innocent people, all tourists, lost their lives in broad daylight.

In a viral video on social media, the community welcomed Afridi on the stage with loud cheers. Upon his arrival at the venue, the community members paused their cultural performance and began chanting ‘Boom, Boom’, referring to Afridi’s nickname on the cricket field. The ex-Pakistan all-rounder responded by saying, ‘Hogaya Boom Boom’.

Afridi even addressed the gathering, especially mentioning that he likes ‘the Kerala part of India and its food.’

Besides, former Pakistan seamer Umar Gul was also present there at the venue and shared the stage with Afridi.

Afridi’s anti-India remarks

Following the most barbaric attack on Indian soil since the 2019 Pulwama bombing that further escalated cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, Afridi maintained a serious anti-Indian stance.

Speaking on a Pakistani news channel shortly after the Pahalgam terror attack, Afridi blamed the failure of the Indian armed forces in Kashmir behind it, saying despite having over 800,000 army personnel deployed in the part of the country, the attack was successful, further calling them inefficient.

“If a firecracker were to burst in India, fingers will always be pointed at Pakistan,” Afridi said on a chat show on Pakistan’s Samaa TV. “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).”

Not only this, but Afridi even criticised Indian media’s coverage of the incident, linking it with a Bollywood movie production and later taking a jibe at certain Indian cricketers for accusing Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack.

Meanwhile, the Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of the banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for this attack.

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