‘Pakistan Is Cruel to Us, India Would Never Do That’: An Afghan’s Bold Rebuke Sparks Debate Across South Asia
A Viral Video and a Controversial Statement
A video circulating widely on social media and highlighted by several media outlets — including Republic World — has reignited old tensions in South Asia. In it, a Pakistani cleric, reportedly Maulvi Gulzar from the Mardan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, makes a stunning declaration:
“Hindus have not treated us as cruelly as Pakistani soldiers have treated us in jail. If India attacks Pakistan, we will support India.”
The statement, blunt and emotionally charged, has triggered debates about Pakistan’s treatment of its own people, Afghanistan’s reaction to Islamabad’s policies, and how India’s image is being reshaped in the regional consciousness. The remark, allegedly made by the cleric during a discussion recorded and shared by Afghan media, offers a rare window into a deep and growing resentment among communities along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
The Video That Shook the Region
The video, now viral across Afghan and Pakistani networks, captures an intense moment of introspection from a Pakistani religious leader. Dressed traditionally and surrounded by local followers, the cleric criticizes the Pakistani establishment for its alleged cruelty toward certain ethnic groups — particularly Pashtuns and Afghans living along the Durand Line.
He contrasts this treatment with what he perceives as India’s comparative restraint, stating that “India would never treat us this way.” Afghan social media users quickly amplified the clip, using it as a reflection of what they call Pakistan’s “duplicity and oppression” toward its neighbors and own ethnic minorities.
While Indian media picked up the story as an example of Pakistan’s internal dissent, Pakistani authorities have remained silent, neither confirming the cleric’s identity nor commenting officially on his statement.
Afghanistan and Pakistan: An Uneasy Relationship
To understand the deeper meaning behind this viral remark, one must revisit the long and troubled relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Kabul has viewed the Durand Line — the colonial-era border dividing Pashtun tribes — as illegitimate. This unresolved issue continues to fuel cross-border hostility.
In recent years, after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, relations have further deteriorated. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harboring the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an insurgent group responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul, in turn, blames Pakistan for manipulating Afghan politics and treating Afghan refugees harshly.
The cleric’s words — “Pakistan is cruel to us” — thus resonate beyond individual suffering. They echo the collective frustration of millions of Pashtuns and Afghans who feel trapped between two governments locked in cycles of distrust and betrayal.
Pakistan’s Internal Fault Lines: A Cleric’s Cry of Dissent
Pakistan’s social and political structure is deeply intertwined with religious authority. Clerics (ulema) have historically held both moral and political power, often shaping national discourse. For one of them to openly declare allegiance to India — Pakistan’s archrival — is extraordinary and deeply symbolic.
It reflects not merely personal anger but a growing sense of alienation within the border regions, where military operations, displacement, and economic neglect have eroded public faith in the state.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the cleric reportedly hails from, has borne the brunt of decades of war, drone strikes, and anti-terror campaigns. Many residents feel that the Pakistani establishment treats them as expendable pawns in a geopolitical chess game, not as equal citizens. The cleric’s outburst, therefore, is not just political provocation — it’s an emotional indictment of Pakistan’s governance and military conduct in these marginalized areas.
India’s Name in the Crossfire: A Symbolic Contrast
The most surprising element of the video is not the criticism of Pakistan, but the cleric’s favorable comparison with India. For decades, Pakistani rhetoric has cast India as the eternal adversary, a threat to Islam and national security. To hear a religious figure say “India would never do that” — in reference to humane treatment — is a striking reversal of that narrative.
This comparison, however, may not reflect a genuine geopolitical preference for India. Instead, it represents symbolic dissent: using India as a moral benchmark to highlight Pakistan’s failures. In South Asian discourse, invoking the “enemy” to shame one’s own rulers is a long-standing tradition.
Still, the fact that India is being viewed — even rhetorically — as a more compassionate state by a Pakistani cleric reveals shifting perceptions among ordinary people. It suggests that regional rivalries, while still entrenched, are being challenged by the lived realities of communities on the margins.
Afghan Media’s Amplification: A Narrative Weapon
Afghan media outlets were quick to seize upon the video. Headlines in Kabul framed it as evidence of Pakistan’s hypocrisy and moral decay. In a region where media is increasingly used as a tool of soft power, this clip became a weapon in the ongoing psychological and diplomatic struggle between the two nations.
By circulating the cleric’s remarks, Afghan broadcasters sought to portray Pakistan as internally divided and morally bankrupt — a state losing the loyalty of even its religious figures. The underlying message was clear: If Pakistan’s own clerics can denounce it, how can it claim to lead the Muslim world or act as Afghanistan’s elder brother?
This strategy mirrors Pakistan’s own past tactics — for decades, Islamabad used sympathetic Afghan clerics and media narratives to shape opinion across the border. The roles, it seems, have now reversed.
Pakistan’s Silence and the Risks of Suppression
Islamabad’s silence on the cleric’s statement is telling. The Pakistani state traditionally deals harshly with public dissent, especially when it comes from religious or tribal leaders. Yet, openly acknowledging the video would risk amplifying its message.
Historically, Pakistan has sought to project itself as a unified Islamic republic — a “fortress of faith” standing against foreign oppression. Any hint of internal betrayal, especially from within the clergy, challenges that national myth.
Observers fear that such voices of dissent could face arrest or intimidation. Indeed, reports from local journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suggest that security agencies have been monitoring mosques and religious gatherings more closely since the video began circulating.
Beyond Borders: The Human Story Behind the Politics
Beneath the noise of politics lies a simpler truth: people living in border regions — whether Pashtuns, Afghans, or Pakistanis — often feel abandoned. For decades, they have been displaced by wars they didn’t start, governed by authorities they didn’t choose, and silenced by states that see them as threats rather than citizens.
The cleric’s voice, raw and defiant, channels that exhaustion. When he says “India would never do that,” it may not be literal praise for New Delhi but a cry for dignity — a plea for humane treatment and recognition from his own country.
In many ways, this is less a pro-India statement and more an anti-cruelty statement — a desperate attempt to hold power accountable.
Implications for South Asian Geopolitics
The episode, while seemingly minor, carries broader implications for South Asia:
- Erosion of Pakistan’s moral authority: Public dissent from within its religious circles undermines Islamabad’s narrative of unity and righteousness.
- Opportunity for India: New Delhi can leverage such moments to project soft power and highlight its democratic and pluralistic credentials.
- Afghanistan’s narrative control: Kabul gains rhetorical advantage by spotlighting Pakistani cruelty, deflecting criticism of its own internal challenges.
- Shifting regional sentiment: Ordinary citizens across the region are increasingly questioning state-driven narratives, opening the door to more nuanced cross-border empathy.
A Cry from the Margins
“Pakistan is cruel to us, India would never do that.”
These words, spoken in anguish, encapsulate decades of disillusionment in South Asia’s borderlands. They speak not just of political grievances, but of broken promises, misplaced faith, and forgotten people.
Whether one sees it as propaganda, rebellion, or truth, the cleric’s message has struck a chord precisely because it exposes the moral contradictions of the region’s politics. It challenges the myth of permanent enmity and forces introspection — on what justice, loyalty, and nationhood mean to those who live in the shadows of borders drawn by history.
In the end, this viral video is not merely about Afghanistan or Pakistan. It’s about the human cost of nationalism and the enduring longing for dignity in a region where suffering has too long been normalized.
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