Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has voiced his concerns over a recent statement made by Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, calling the remarks “insensitive” His reaction comes shortly after the deadly Pehalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. A ceasefire between the two nations was reached on May 10, following four days of military escalation.
What Asim Munir had said
In a controversial address delivered just before the Pehalgam incident, General Munir had said, “Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different…” The speech was seen by Indian officials as an attempt to fuel hostility, and possibly as encouragement for extremist activity.
Javed Akhtar on Pakistan
In a candid interview with lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, Javed Akhtar condemned such rhetoric while making it clear that his criticism is not aimed at the general Pakistani population. “No country is a monolith. Every citizen of a country can’t be the same. If a country’s government is bad, then its impact will first be first on its own citizen… Our issue should only be with the government, the army, and the extremists. Our full sympathy should be with the innocents who are suffering because of them,” he said.
Akhtar didn’t hold back when discussing Pakistan’s treatment of history and culture. He said, “One of their missiles is called Abdali. Abdali attacked Muslims! He’s your hero? What about the people who were born on your soil? You are hailing an invader? Do you have any concept of history? Their issue is that their history and geography are incompatible. The communities they describe as their own want nothing to do with them. Several Arab countries have banned Pakistanis from getting visas. It’s like some boy on the streets of Delhi saying he knows Shah Rukh Khan. My friend, Shah Rukh Khan doesn’t know who you are! Yeh inka haal hai.”
Javed Akhtar on how Pakistan treats its soldiers
Reflecting on past military events, Akhtar also recalled how India treated fallen Pakistani soldiers with dignity during the Kargil war, in contrast to Pakistan’s indifference. “Another truth that Pakistanis must face is this: when one of our soldiers dies, we salute him, but when Pakistani soldiers died in Kargil, they didn’t even claim their bodies. It was the Indians who gave them a proper burial. One of our top-ranking soldiers took photographs of their fallen men, had an album made, and presented it to the Pakistanis. They refused to take it. He later accepted it, but unofficially.”
This is not the first time Akhtar has taken a strong stance on cross-border relations. In 2023, during an event in Lahore, he called out Pakistan’s role in harbouring terrorism and referenced the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai as a personal and national trauma. He has also publicly criticised the lack of appreciation and respect shown by Pakistani authorities towards Indian artists in the past.
