Champions Trophy: BJP brands Mirwaiz Farooq a 'traitor' for supporting Pakistan

Soon after Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted a congratulatory message to Pakistan over their Champions Trophy victory against England, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a scathing attack on him, branding him as a 'traitor'.

"Separatists are all traitors who benefit from the Indian soil but support Pakistan. It is not at all surprising that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was cheering for Pakistan," BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI.

Re-iterating the above stance, BJP leader Zafar Islam asserted that all Hurriyat leaders were 'agents of Pakistan'.

"Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is no less than a traitor. Everyone knows how the separatists function. They are agents of Pakistan," he said.

The chairman of the Hurriyat Forum received flak for expressing his elation over Pakistan's eight-wicket victory over England, thus helping them secure their spot in the finals.

Farooq cheered for the Pakistan Cricket Team after its win over England in the first semi-final match of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.

Pakistan's win in Cardiff was celebrated in Kashmir with the locals taking to streets to burst firecrackers.

Chasing a paltry score of 212, Pakistan crossed the line for the loss of two wickets and with 12.5 overs to spare.

Their chase was spearheaded by Fakhar Zaman (57) and Azhar Ali (76), who laid a solid foundation by sharing a 118-run opening stand.

Pakistan will now play India in Sunday's finals of the championship.