Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi comments on the results of by-elections held in Punjab on Sunday. PTI registered a convincing and surprising victory by winning 15 seats out of 20 seats in the province.
The cricketer that the results imply that the future of Pakistan is linked to democracy only. He added that people who come through votes of the people are respectable and contribute to the system of democracy must be respected.
“The results of today’s by-elections have proved that the future of Pakistan is solely related to democracy. Respectable is every person who, by his right to vote, contributes to the business of government and advances the system of democracy,” said the cricketer in his tweet on Monday.
The cricketer, however, did not openly felicitate Imran Khan or Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf. He appreciated the elections.
Earlier, the cricketer was criticized for felicitating Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the prime minister of Pakistan. Also, in one of his interviews, he expressed displeasure over the few policies of Imran Khan.
آج کے ضمنی انتخابات کے نتائج نے یہ ثابت کیا ہے کہ پاکستان کا مستقبل صرف اور صرف جمہوریت سے وابستہ ہے۔ قابل احترام ہے ہر وہ شخص، جو اپنے حق رائے دہی سے کاروبار حکومت میں اپنا حصہ ڈالنا ہے اور جمہور کے نظام کو آگے بڑھاتا ہے۔#PakistanZindabad
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) July 17, 2022
Responding to the criticism, the cricketer said that Imran Khan has been his ideal since his cricketing days, adding that it was Imran Khan who inspired him to join cricket. He would not have been able to achieve this had Imran Khan not inspired him. The star cricketer said he served Pakistan first through cricket and now through his charity organization.
Read more: Shahid Afridi responds to criticism on social media
He said that he has always idealized Imran Khan and appreciated him for his services. Afridi said Imran Khan led the Pakistan cricket team to victory, adding that he also appreciated the construction of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.
During his term, he appreciated the initiative of Sehat Card. The cricketer said he does have a right to oppose or disagree with Imran Khan. Afridi advised people to practice tolerance over differences of opinions. He said the differences should not be turned into hate. He said respecting differences of opinion is a sign of a healthy society.