Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar, who recently hosted Javed Akhtar and performed in front of him, has now reacted to the veteran writer-lyricist’s earlier remarks on his country.

Last week, at the Faiz Festival held in Lahore, Akhtar had spoken about how perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks are “roaming freely” in Pakistan.

Reacting to this, Ali took to his Instagram Stories and stated that Akhtar’s remarks could “deeply hurt the sentiments” of people. He wrote, “Guys, I love you all and truly value your praise and criticism equally. But I always request one thing — verify facts before reaching any conclusion or judgement. I was not present at the Faiz Mela nor aware of what was said until the next day, when I saw it on social media.”

He went on to add, “I am a proud Pakistani and naturally, no Pakistani would appreciate any statement against its country or people, specially at an event meant to bring hearts closer than farther. We all know how much Pakistan has suffered and continues to suffer at the hands of terrorism. Such insensitive and uncalled-for remarks can deeply hurt the sentiments of so many people.”