Bollywood legend Rishi Kapoor calls for Indian & Pakistani ARMIES to ‘join hands’ against terrorism

Known for pushing for peace between the two nations, Bollywood star Rishi Kapoor is calling for India and Pakistan to jointly root out terrorism – going as far as to suggest the Pakistani forces could do it behind their PM’s back.

Writing from a hospital in New York where he is currently recovering from a medical procedure, the outspoken actor followed up on comments he made in a recent interview where he implied that the Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was not taking adequate steps to curb terrorism in the country.

The comment has sparked controversy not only for suggesting the rival nations spilling each other’s blood on the Kashmir border put down their weapons and hold hands, but also for the implication that the Pakistani military or intelligence services do what Khan can’t. This led many to see the tweet less as a call for peace and more as an underhanded jibe at the Pakistani leader.

The tweet sparked a torrent of comments from people far more skeptical about the prospect of the two sides putting aside their differences to root out terrorism. Others saw Kapoor’s proposition as tacit support for the Indian government’s accusation that Pakistan allows terrorists to operate and train on its territory.

If Kapoor’s call was sincere, it certainly seems to have backfired. With emotions still running high from the Kashmir conflict, the polarized commenters on both sides reacted negatively. Many in India rejected calls for peace with the enemy, while those supporting Islamabad said that it is New Delhi which needs to take the fight on terror seriously rather than using the issue to score political points ahead of the general elections in May.

The narrative that Pakistan is soft on terror is notably not one that the country’s authorities share with India and other world powers. After terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed a car-bombing which left 44 Indian soldiers dead earlier this year, New Delhi accused Islamabad of allowing the terrorists to operate on its territory. The Indian government used this accusation to justify the cross-border bombing which sparked the recent round of conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistan has firmly denied it has any links to the pro-Pakistan separatist organization that carried out the bombing, and repeatedly stated its conviction to fighting terror.

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