Veteran composer Javed Akhtar won the internet with his recent comment that 26/11 attackers are roaming free in Pakistan. The writer has now issued his reaction to the comment he made at the Lahore’s Faiz festival.
In a conversation with NDTV, Akhtar said, “They all clapped. They agreed with me. There are many people who admire India, and want to have a relationship with us.” He added, “We tend to think of countries as a monolith. That is not the case. How do we connect with millions of people who want to connect with India.”
During his recent interview, Javed Akhtar was also asked if this was the time for the country to engage in talks, to which the poet said, “I don’t have that kind of calibre (to respond to this query). People who are in power, who are holding that position, understand what is happening, what is the situation how to go about it. Pakistan Army, Pakistani people, Pakistani establishment are not on the same page.”
The recent reaction comes after Akhtar was recently seen attending a festival organized in the renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In the viral video, Javed Akhtar responded to a question from the audience, who told him to take with a ‘message of peace’ and to tell Indians that Pakistan is ‘a positive, friendly and loving country’, he said answered that there is a ‘communication blockade’ between the two nations, reported Indian Express. ALSO READ | Javed Akhtar WINS Internet As He Reminds Pakistan About 26/11 Attack In VIRAL VIDEO! Invites Claps And Cheers; Indians Call It ‘Surgical Strike’
The person asked, “You have visited Pakistan so many times. When you go back do you tell your people that these are good people, they aren’t just bombing us but also greeting us with garlands and love (sic)?”
To which Akhtar replied, “We should not blame each other. It will solve nothing. The atmosphere is tense, which should be doused. We are people from Mumbai, we have seen the attack on our city. They (attackers) did not come from Norway or Egypt. They are still roaming free in your country. So if there is anger in the Hindustani’s heart, you can’t complain (sic).”
Javed Akhtar’s response, in a rare moment, earned him applause from Kangana Ranaut. The actress took to her Twitter handle and praised the writer for his statement about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
During the event, Akhtar even reminded the audience that even though Pakistani artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mehdi Hasan have been welcomed with open arms in India, Pakistan has never hosted a Lata Mangeshkar show.
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