After hosting Javed Akhtar and expressing his happiness about performing in front of veteran Bollywood lyricist, Pakistani actor and singer Ali Zafar has now slammed Akhtar for his comments on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The writer reminded Pakistan of the terror attacks while attending Faiz Festival in Lahore. While Akhtar is being hailed in India for addressing the issue and conspirators of the 26/11 attacks still "roaming freely" in Pakistan, Ali Zafar has called his speech "insensitive".
Ali, in an Instagram story, wrote about his love and devotion for his country, and how Akhtar’s “insensitive and uncalled for remarks can deeply hurt the sentiments of so many people.” He wrote, "Guys, I love you all and truly value your praise and criticism equally. But I always request one thing – verify facts before reaching any conclusion or judgement. I was not present at the Faiz Mela nor aware of what was said until the next day when I saw it on social media."
"I am a proud Pakistani and naturally no Pakistani would appreciate any statement against its country or people specially at an event meant to bring hearts closer than further. We all know how much Pakistan has suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of terrorism and such insensitive and uncalled for remarks can deeply hurt the sentiments of so many people," he added.
Earlier, Ali Fazal had shared on Twitter about hosting Javed Akhtar at a party. Sharing a video, he wrote, "It was an honour to host him. I have always believed art & music transcends boundaries and is the best way to bring people together. Love is the ONLY way to peace. Thank you @Javedakhtarjadu sahab for gracing us with your presence. Thank you Faiz sahab for keeping us connected."
Javed Akhtar's statement
At the event in Pakistan, Javed had said, "Let us not blame each other. That won’t solve issues. Jo garam hai fiza, woh kam honi chahiye. Hum toh Bambaiye log hain. Hamne dekha wahan kaise hamla hua tha. Wo log Norway se toh nahi aaye the naa Egypt se aaye the, wo log abhi bhi aapke mulk me ghum rahe hain. Toh ye shikayat agar Hindustani ke dil mein ho toh aapko bura nahi manna chahiye (The atmosphere needs to cool down. I am from Bombay and all of us witnessed the attack on Bombay. The attackers weren’t from Norway, or from Egypt. They are still present in your country, so you should not be offended if an Indian complains about this)."
He added that while India has hosted several Pakistani artists in the past, Pakistan has never hosted singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Akhtar also questioned the Pakistani gathering about not opening their hearts to the Indian artistes. He said, "When Faiz Sahab visited, he was received like a very important visitor. It was broadcast all over. We hosted big functions of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mehdi Hasan. You (Pakistan) never organised a function for Lata Mangeshkar?" The poet attracted claps and cheers from the gathering. The revered poet believes that the competition and hatred between the neighbouring countries have spread through language and culture.
ALSO READ: Nawazuddin Siddiqui case: Mumbai court rejects dowry harassment pleas against actor
ALSO READ: John Abraham called Karan Johar 'Clannish' even before Kangana Ranaut's Nepotism Jibe| Viral Video
