Imran Khan's remark
“Pakistan has not learnt anything from the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971”Imran Khan, former Pakistani cricket captain-turned politician said this recently. In this regard, I would like to cite an incident. Probably in 1973 or 1974, the Pakistan cricket team came to Bangladesh for the first time after our independence, for participating in a friendly match.
As far as I remember, Imran Khan, Zahir Abbas and Jabed Miandad were in the team. After getting down from the plane, they greeted the Bangladeshi officials saying “Nomoskar.” The Bangladeshi people were taken aback, as the Pakistan team considered them Hindu.
They did this maybe because we achieved freedom with the help of India. In no time, our people got furious, the match got cancelled, and the Pakistan team was compelled to go back home without any delay.
I do not know whether Imran Khan has spoken from his heart or as a general politician. If this is his true realisation, we must thank him. It is better to realise late than never.
Journalist Hamid Mir, human rights worker Asma Jahangir and some other conscious Pakistanis are trying to convince the Pakistan government of the need to seek forgiveness from Bangladesh, for their inhuman acts in the 1971 Liberation War. But will they do it?
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