Shahid Afridi highlights Pakistan’s aid as Afghan border tensions rise – HUM News

WEB DESK: In the light of recent move by Afghanistan cricket team’s refusal to play with Pakistan in the upcoming November series, it appears that former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has urged calm. He also warned against further cross-border hostility in a strongly worded message that highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding support for Afghan people.

In a post shared on social media, Afridi reminded followers that Pakistan “has always stood with our Afghan brothers,” saying the country opened its borders to refugees and has settled some four million Afghans on its soil.

Afridi wrote that he personally assists about 350 Afghan families “according to my means,” reflecting the depth of civilian and charitable support extended to Afghans over the years. He expressed regret, however, that recent episodes of cross-border aggression from elements inside Afghanistan appeared to ignore those long-standing humanitarian gestures. “It is extremely regrettable that Afghanistan has forgotten these favours and engaged in open aggression along the borders, to which our armed forces responded decisively,” he said.

The former cricketer warned Kabul to reflect on the relationship between the two neighbours, describing Pakistan as a “brotherly Islamic country” and urging Afghans not to permit their territory to be exploited by third parties. Afridi specifically cautioned against allowing states or groups that have previously supported militants inside Pakistan to operate from Afghan soil.