TIL Desk Sports/ Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi courted controversy on Wednesday by stating that Pakistan cannot take care of its four provinces, it does not need Kashmir. He later went on to clarify his stance, tweeting that his words were taken out of context.
In a video clip, Afridi is heard saying: “Kashmir koi issue nahi hai. Main kehta hoon, Pakistan ko nahi chahiye Kashmir, India ko bhi na do. Nahi chahiye Pakistan ko. Pakistan se yeh chaar soobeh nahi sambhal rahel. Aap India ko bhi na do. Pakistan ko nahi chahiye Kashmir. Kashmir ko apna freedom do. (Kashmir is a non-issue).
Pakistan does not need Kashmir. Pakistan can’t even manage its four provinces. Pakistan does not want Kashmir. Don’t give it to India too. Let Kashmir be independent.)”.He was heavily criticised on social media for his remark which deviated from the state policy of Pakistan on Kashmir.
Renowned news anchor Hamid Mir compared Afridi’s solution to an “out of box” formula proposed by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. “The Musharraf formula failed because Kashmir can only be resolved under UN resolutions,” he said.