A Kerala-based community group in Dubai is under intense scrutiny on social media after hosting former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi at a recent cultural event.
The backlash stems from Afridi’s controversial remarks following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people and reignited tensions between India and Pakistan.
In a now-viral video, Afridi is seen receiving a grand welcome on stage with cheers of “Boom Boom” from the crowd, referencing his popular cricket nickname. The community even paused their cultural performance to honour his arrival. Afridi responded warmly, expressing admiration for Kerala and its cuisine.
However, many netizens were outraged, citing Afridi’s past anti-India rhetoric. During a television appearance in April, Afridi blamed the Indian military for the Pahalgam attack and ridiculed India’s security capabilities. “You have 800,000 troops in Kashmir, and this still happened? That means you’re inefficient,” he said, accusing India of failing to protect its citizens.
Afridi also mocked Indian media coverage of the attack and subtly criticized Indian cricketers who alleged Pakistan’s role in the incident.
The terror attack in Pahalgam was later claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Social media users called the Dubai community’s warm reception of Afridi “shameful” and “insensitive,” given the emotional and political weight of the ongoing crisis. Many questioned the group’s decision to honour a figure widely seen as hostile toward India during a period of heightened national mourning.
