Former Pakistan cricket team spinner Danish Kaneria slammed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for calling the Pahalgam attack terrorists ‘freedom fighters’. Kaneria had previously criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well for his silence on the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack in Pahalgam was the deadliest assault in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama attack. While the incident resulted in a lot of criticism from all around the world, Ishaq Dar made a bizarre claim by calling the terrorists “freedom fighters”. Kaneria was left fuming by the comment as he called it  ‘disgraceful’ and said that this is “an open admission of state-sponsored terrorism”.

“When the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan calls terrorists “freedom fighters,” it’s not just a disgrace – it’s an open admission of state-sponsored terrorism,” Kaneria posted on X (formerly Twitter).

When the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan calls terrorists “freedom fighters,” it’s not just a disgrace — it’s an open admission of state-sponsored terrorism. pic.twitter.com/QlS1UDzq20

— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) April 24, 2025

Meanwhile, wo-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday hit out at those targetting him for inviting Pakistan’s javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem for the Neeraj Chopra Classic, saying it was just an “invite from one athlete to another”, sent before the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist and Paris Games silver medallist added that it “hurts” him to see he and his family being abused and their integrity being questioned.

Chopra had invited Nadeem, who had beaten the Indian at the Paris Olympic last year to win gold, for the inaugural edition of the Neeraj Chopra Classic to be held in Bengaluru on May 24.

Nadeem had declined to come citing other commitments.

“There has been so much talk about my decision to invite Arshad Nadeem to compete in the Neeraj Chopra Classic, and most of it has been hate and abuse. They haven’t even left my family out of it,” said Chopra in a long post on ‘X’.

“I usually am a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean I will not speak up against what I think is wrong. More so when it comes to questioning my love for our country, and the respect and honour of my family,” he wrote.

Chopra said invites were sent out on Monday, two days before the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.

“The invitation I extended to Arshad was from one athlete to another — nothing more, nothing less. The aim of the NC Classic was to bring the best athletes to India and for our country to be the home of world-class sporting events.. Invites had gone out to all athletes on Monday, two days before the terrorist attacks at Pahalgam,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)