Javed Akhtar, writer and lyricist, told a gathering in Pakistan that the perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attacks are still at large, and it would be unreasonable to expect Indians to have no complaints about this. Akhtar was in Pakistan in order to attend a memorial celebration for the legendary Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
The writer stated that there is a ‘communication blockade’ between the two countries in response to a request that he convey a message of peace to Indians and inform them that Pakistan is ‘a wonderful, kind, and loving country.’
He also reminded the audience that while Pakistani musicians such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mehdi Hasan have been well received in India, Pakistan has never hosted a Lata Mangeshkar concert.
“You have visited Pakistan 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?” a person asked of him. Akhtar responded, according to The Print, “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 me 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).”
So….. #javedakhtar sahab went to #Lahore for #FaizFestival2023 and said this! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻@Javedakhtarjadu sahab 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/X6x2Pcp3ef
— Satya Nutella 🐀 (@satyanas) February 20, 2023
Recently, a video showed Akhtar appreciating Ali Zafar’s musical performance in Lahore. In homage to Faiz’s legacy, he stated, “His writings were magical.” They are published in and read in both Urdu and Devnagri. His admirers extend across Pakistan and India.”
The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, commonly known as the 26/11 assaults, claimed the lives of 175 individuals, including the perpetrators. Hundreds were also injured when terrorists carried out a series of coordinated attacks on important Mumbai landmarks.
