Outrage as Kerala community in Dubai welcomes Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi at event: ‘Shameful’

AKerala community of interests in Dubai is veneer societal media backlash after warm welcoming former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi at a recent case. Netizens slammed the group for their hospitality, citing Shahid Afridi’s remarks following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22 and escalated India-Pakistan tensions thereafter.In a widely circulated video on social media, Shahid Afridi is seen being welcomed on stage by the community amid loud cheers. He addresses the gathering and says he especially likes “the Kerala part in India and its food".As Afridi arrived, the community members paused their cultural performance and broke into chants of “Boom Boom,” referring to the cricketer’s famous nickname. Afridi responded by saying, “Hogaya Boom Boom".Afridi's controversial remarks about Pahalgam attackShahid Afridi has maintained a strong anti-India stance during the recent military and diplomatic tensions between the two nations.While speaking on Pakistan’s Samaa TV in April, Afridi said even “if a firecracker were to burst in India, fingers will always be pointed at Pakistan". He went further, blaming the Pahalgam terror attack on a failure by Indian armed forces, saying, “Tum logon ki 8 lakh hi fauj hai Kashmir mein aur yeh ho gaya. Iska matlab nalayak ho, nikamme ho na tum log security de nahi sake logon ko (You have an 800,000-strong army in Kashmir and this still happened. It means you are inefficient and useless if you can't provide security to the people).”Afridi also mocked Indian media’s coverage of the incident, likening it to a Bollywood production, and appeared to take a veiled jab at Indian cricketers for accusing Pakistan of involvement in the attack.The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of the banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack.How netizens reacted?The clip, shared by an X handle with the caption, “What a shame!! - Desperate Keralites welcome this Anti-India Paki with 'Boom Boom' at an event in Dubai, especially after Pahalgam terror attack and his venomous stand against India,” quickly went viral.Given the timing and Afridi’s controversial remarks, the community's gesture drew sharp criticism online.One user reacted to the video saying, “Patriotism gone for a six..what a shame. Expected better from them (Kerala community)."Another wrote, “How much Disloyal can you be to your nation…learn from the most literate people… Disgraceful!"A third user questioned, “Don’t they have anyone from India origin!! Shame to see these happen."