26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed supporter Hamza Ali Abbasi's Pakistani film 'Maula Jatt' set to release in India

Pakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi has always stood by terror kingpin Saeed on all the issues he has raised in the past and the anti-India cause he espouses.

New Delhi, Dec 24: Punjabi film 'The Legend of Maula Jatt', a blockbuster film made in Pakistan, is all set to release in India on December 30. The movie stars Fawad Khan as the titular character with Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malik and Mahira Khan in other roles.

What has caught the attention of the people is the fact that the movie has Hamza Ali Abbasi in a key role. For starters, Abbasi is a known terrorist sympathiser and supporter of Hafiz Saeed, one of India's most wanted terrorist and the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.

Who is Hamza Ali Abbasi

Abbasi has been vocal in his support to Saeed and denied the latter's involvement in the Mumbai attacks. "U unbelievable idiot! Hafiz Saeed publicly condemned the Mumbai attacks in an interview i conducted! His words "I condemn Mumbai attacks! My disagreement is with Indian Govt/Military in Kashmir! I have nothing against Indn ppl, they are human beings and all human life is sacred," he had once tweeted.

It was his response to former US Donald Trump's tweet about Saeed's arrest in 2019. In fact, Abbasi had spoken against the Pakistan government over the arrest. He had tweeted, "#IsupportHafizSaeed Allah ka shukkar! Gr8 to see such support for Hafiz Saab! Again, i undrstnd the pressure on PakGovt but i m not the Govt & i am free to say wht i see as truth! Use ur own research to determine who ur frnds/enemies r rather than blindly following what USA says!"

On pointing at a hate speech given by the terror mastermind against the Ahmadi sect in Pakistan, the actor had tried to justify it. "My brother, i know abt our national sentiment towards the Ahmadi or "Qadiyani" issue. It's a very complicated issue and not like other religious minorities. It needs to be treated separately if we r to ever bring each other closer," he had tweeted.

Hamza Ali Abbasi, on one occasion, had cited a report published on 'The Indian Express' to drive home the point that Saeed was a secular. "It's the duty of Muslims to protect their Hindu brethren - Hafiz Saeed," he had tweeted.

Stand on CAA

In 2019, the same actor had thanked Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah for carving Pakistan out of India. His support to the two-nation theory came after the Narendra Modi-government passed Citizenship Amendment Act. "On 14th August 1947, we got Pakistan bcz Jinnah sahab argued tht Muslims of SubContinent are in danger of being oppressed by the Hindu majority... and once more history proved him right bcz of Citizenship Amndmnt Act by Modi/RSS/BJP Hindutva raj, I thank Allah for PAKISTAN. 🇵🇰❤️", Abbasi had tweeted.

In the past, the actor had endorsed the views of late Kashmir separatist Syed Ali Geelani. "#OperationKashmir This is VERY SERIOUS. Plz let us all put all our differences aside & as Muslims/Humans/Pakistanis raise the loudest voice for Kashmir. Massive new forces deployed, ppl being forcefully evacuated! RSS/BJP extremist Govt is preparing for a genocide in Kashmir," he said.

'The Legend of Maula Jatt' is directed and written by Bilal Lashari. The film is an adaptation of the 1979 cult classic film 'Maula Jatt' and is considered not a remake nor a sequel by the producers.