New Delhi: Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi on Tuesday raked up the 'Kashmir issue' and pitched for 'self-determination and independence' of the valley. The player took to Twitter and posted, "Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self -determination and independence. Wonder where are the UN and other international bodies and why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?"



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His tweet came just two days after the Indian security forces killed 13 terrorists in Kashmir Valley. The terrorists were killed in three different encounters on Sunday which also saw three Indian Army jawans martyred and four civilians dead. The three martyred Army personnel were Gunner Arvinder Kumar, Gunner Nilesh Singh and Sepoy Hetram.


Two of the killed terrorists were identified as Rayees Ahmad Thoker and Ishfaq Ahmad Malik. The duo was responsible for shooting Indian Army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz dead in May 2017 when the officer was at his home on a holiday.


Afridi was trolled on the social media for his remarks by Indians, though there were some from the Pakistani side who backed him.












This is not the first time that Afridi has raised the 'issue of Kashmir'. During the World Twenty20 match against Australia in Mohali in March 2016, he had thanked 'fans from Kashmir' for supporting Pakistan.


“I want to thank people who came and supported us from Pakistan and Kashmir," Afridi had said in the post-match presentation in Kolkata after a 21-run loss to Australia that knocked his team out.



Reacting to his comments, the then BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had said that the Pakistani cricketer's remark was “not politically correct”. "A player should stay away from all this," he had added.


Afridi's remarks had come after he was criticised in Pakistan for saying a couple of days back he had received more 'love from Indian fans than cricket lovers in his country'. 


“I’ve not enjoyed playing anywhere as much as I have in India. We have not got this much love even from Pakistan,” he had said. After facing criticism, he had said that his remarks were for those who are educated.



Afridi retired from international cricket in 2017 and played 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 98 T20Is for Pakistan. He led his country in the ICC World Cup 2011. Afridi holds the record of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket.