In the wake of the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack, TV actor Ayesha Khan, who gained popularity as a contestant on Bigg Boss 17, has come under social media scrutiny for liking a controversial Instagram post that stated, "Indians are not welcome in Kashmir." The post ignited debate around India and Pakistan's diplomatic ties and also touched on the issue of "freeing Kashmir," while criticizing Indians who claim Kashmir as their own.
Did Ayesha Khan like a post related to Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack?
The post in question was shared by Kashmiri writer Jalees Hyder on his Instagram account. He wrote, "I don't care who lashes out at me for saying this, never have, never will, but some truths need to be spoken, especially when silence aids repression. Yes, I mourn the loss of civilian life, but let's not confuse that grief with the erasure of reality. Kashmir is not your aesthetic escape, your spiritual pitstop, or your Instagrammable paradise. It is the most densely militarised region in the world, and the people who call it home do not live in peace. They live under occupation, under surveillance, under the constant threat of violence, torture, enforced disappearances, and systematic erasure."
The post further stated, "So no, as an Indian, you are not welcome in Kashmir to normalise its occupation, to romanticise our pain, or to turn our homeland into a tourist fantasy. Every photo you take that pretends this land is heaven on earth without acknowledging the brutal reality on the ground is a form of violence."
Ayesha Khan liked a post where it is stated that...."As an Endian, you are not welcome in Kashmir." pic.twitter.com/uXkoQWEhE6
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) April 26, 2025
"We are not hostile to visitors, we are hostile to colonisers, to enablers, to those who look at our trauma and call it scenic. We will welcome the world with open arms once Kashmir is free," Hyder added.
They will never choose nation above their faith
— Indian Retail Investing (@IndianInve10186) April 27, 2025
Following Ayesha Khan's like on this post, netizens slammed her, accusing her of supporting anti-national views. Many demanded that actor Ravi Dubey remove her from the cast of the show Dil Ko Rafu Karr Lei, while others tagged the Mumbai Police and called for action against her.
As of now, Ayesha Khan has not publicly addressed the ongoing criticism.
On April 22, almost 26 people were killed, and several others were injured when gunmen opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam. The attack, which occurred around 3:00 PM on Tuesday, left behind heartbreak and horror.
