Javed Akhtar reminds ‘insensitive’ Pak Army: ‘We salute our fallen soldiers, you refused to take bodies of your men during Kargil war’ | Bollywood News

Amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakan, renowned writer-lyric Javed Akhtar expressed his dismay at the comments made General Asim Munir, the Army chief of the neighbouring country, just days before the Pehalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. In response to the attack, India had launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror camps inside Pakan and Pakan-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 was viewed New Delhi as having encouraged the terrors.
In an interview with lawyer and politician Kapil Sibal, Javed Akhtar stressed that India doesn’t want to vilify the average Pakani citizen, but criticised comments made 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 extrems. Our full sympathy should be with the innocents who are suffering because of them.”
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Describing the situation as ‘tragic’ for common Pakanis, 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 Pakan 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 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…”
Also read – Javed Akhtar reminds Pakanis that 26/11 attackers are from their country: ‘You shouldn’t be offended if Indians complain about this’
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 hory? Their issue is that their hory and geography are incompatible. The communities they describe as their own want nothing to do with them. Several Arab countries have banned Pakanis 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 Pakani army not having respect for their own. He said, “Another truth that Pakanis must face is this: when one of our soldiers dies, we salute him, but when Pakani 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 Pakanis. They refused to take it. He later accepted it, but unofficially.”Story continues below this ad
Akhtar, who got a hero’s welcome in Pakan in 2023, had slammed Islamabad in front of a gathering in Lahore, for sponsoring terrorism. Asked why Indians and Pakanis can’t get along, Akhtar had reminded the audience that he witnessed the terror caused Pakani attackers firsthand during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. In the past, he has also spoken about the lack of respect shown Pakanis to Indian artes over the years.