A Pakistani fan of cricketer Virat Kohli was arrested for hoisting the Indian flag on the roof of his home on Republic Day and charged with committing an offence against the state.
Umar Daraz said he hoisted the flag to pay homage to Kohli. He acknowledged he had “committed a blunder”, according to media reports.
“I am a big fan of Virat Kohli. I support the Indian team because of Kohli. Hoisting of Indian flag on the rooftop of (my) house only shows my love for the Indian cricketer,” Daraz told reporters.
Daraz was arrested from his house in chak (village) 54/2L in Okara district, 200 km from the Punjab province capital Lahore, on Tuesday.
“We raided the house of Umar Daraz and seized the Indian flag from his rooftop,” police official Muhammad Jamil said.
Posters of Kohli were found pasted on the walls of Daraz’s home. He said he had no idea that he had committed a crime and asked authorities to pardon him. He said he should be seen as “an Indian cricketer’s fan and not as a spy”.
A case was registered against Daraz under Section 123-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and provisions of the Maintenance of Public Order.
{{/usCountry}}A case was registered against Daraz under Section 123-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and provisions of the Maintenance of Public Order.
{{/usCountry}}Section 123 of the PPC relates to “offences against the state” and the sub-section used to charge Daraz relates to “condemnation of the creation of the state, and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty”.
Daraz was presented in court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody.
Okara shot to the limelight in 2008 after it emerged that Ajmal Kasab, the lone attacker captured alive during the terror attacks on Mumbai, was a resident of Faridkot village in the district. The Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group has a strong presence in the area.
(With inputs from PTI)
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