With a tweet on Wednesday, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi attempted to re-ignite the Kashmir controversy. Afridi backed Yasin Malik, a separatist leader who was recently convicted in a terror funding case. On Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) demanded the death penalty for him.
Yasin Malik has been charged with forming a criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, engaging in other illegal acts, and disrupting the peace in Kashmir. He had withdrawn his lawyer and pled guilty at the last hearing.
On Twitter, Afridi posted a photo of himself against a backdrop of the Pakistan flag and wrote, "India's continued attempts to silence critical voices against its blatant human right abuses are futile. Fabricated charges against Yasin Malik will not put a hold to Kashmir's struggle to freedom. Urging the UN to take notice of unfair & illegal trails against Kashmir leaders."
Here is Afridi's tweet
India's continued attempts to silence critical voices against its blatant human right abuses are futile. Fabricated charges against #YasinMalik will not put a hold to #Kashmir's struggle to freedom. Urging the #UN to take notice of unfair & illegal trails against Kashmir leaders. pic.twitter.com/EEJV5jyzmN
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) May 25, 2022
Soon after Afridi's tweet, Indian cricketer Amit Mishra slammed him for his remarks. He stated that Afridi was deceiving people, as he did with his birthday. "Dear @safridiofficial he himself has pleaded guilty in court on record. Not everything is misleading like your birthdate," he wrote in his tweet.
Here is the tweet
Dear @safridiofficial he himself has pleaded guilty in court on record. Not everything is misleading like your birthdate. 🇮🇳🙏https://t.co/eSnFLiEd0z
— Amit Mishra (@MishiAmit) May 25, 2022
In the meantime, this is not the first instance where Afridi has been vocal about the situation in Kashmir. "It does not take a religious belief to feel the agony of Kashmiris...just a right heart at the right place. Save Kashmir," Afridi had tweeted in 2020.
He also once said that he was looking forward to seeing a team from Kashmir in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He said that he would want to play for the Kashmir team if they are a part of the country's T20 League. "I’ve been deeply humbled by all the love shown to me by the people of Kashmir. I hope that there will be a team from Kashmir in the next edition of the PSL. If there will be a team from Kashmir, I will want to play for that team," he had said.