Keep up the hard work, Afridi tells Kashmiri students in Bangladesh

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Pakistan star cricketer Shahid Afridi on Thursday met Kashmiri students in Bangladesh and interacted with them during his training at the cricket stadium.

Afridi, who has remained vocal about his views on the Kashmir issue, said that it was heartening to see Kashmiri students in Bangladesh who are studying medicine.

Taking to his Twitter handle, the star all-rounder called his meeting with Kashmiri students in Bangladesh as heartening.

“Heartening meeting with some Kashmiri students who are in Bangladesh on scholarship, studying Medicine. Keep up the hard work and making your people proud!” he tweeted.

It merits a mention that Afridi is currently playing the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

In the past, Afridi has been very vocal about the suppression in Kashmir and has asked both India and Pakistan to let Kashmiris decide their own fate.

Last year, Afridi came in hot water while expressing his feelings about the people of Kashmir. “The world has turned Kashmir into an issue. Kashmir is not an issue,” the 38-year-old cricketer told students at the British parliament.

In a special ceremony, he said, “I say…Pakistan does not want Kashmir. Don’t give it to India either. Let Kashmir become its own country. At least humanity should stay alive. The people who are dying, at least that [bloodshed] should not happen.”

The hard-hitting batsman soon issued a statement on social media, clarifying his “passionate” remarks and accusing Indian media of misinterpreting his comments and presenting them “out of context”.

“My comments are being misconstrued by Indian media! I’m passionate about my country and greatly value the struggles of Kashmiris. Humanity must prevail and they should get their rights,” Afridi clarified in a tweet.

“My clip is incomplete & out of context as what I said before that is missing. Kashmir is unresolved dispute & under brutal Indian occupation. It must be resolved as per UN resolution. Myself along with every Pakistani support Kashmiri freedom struggle. Kashmir belongs to Pakistan,” he added.

In April 2018, the former Pakistani cricketer had tweeted condemnation of a clampdown by Indian forces on civilians in occupied Kashmir which infuriated the neighbouring country’s media and players.

In 2016, ahead of a World T20 match in Mohali, he had said, “Many people here are from Kashmir.” He had also faced a backlash from his own country in 2016 after he said that he was showered with more love in India than in Pakistan.