Umar Draz hoisted flag on the roof of his house.
By Sreekanth A Nair
A Pakistani fan of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was arrested for hoisting Indian tricolor flag on his roof in Punjab Province of Pakistan.
Umar Draz from Okara district, almost 200 kilometers away from Lahore, was taken into custody on Tuesday by the police.
“We raided the house of Umar Draz and seized the Indian flag from his rooftop,” police official Muhammad Jamil was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune on Wednesday.
“I am a big fan of Virat Kohli. I support the Indian team because of Kohli. Hoisting the Indian flag on the rooftop of the house only shows my love for the Indian cricketer,” Draz told reporters.
The police have registered a case against him under the Maintenance of Public Order act that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
“It’s illegal to hoist the flag of another country,” police officer Ismail Khan was quoted as saying by the Reuters. “Yesterday he was presented before a local court and sent to jail,” he added.
Draz has apologized for his act and he said that he didn’t know it was a crime to hoist Indian flag. He also said that he is only a fan of Indian cricket and not a spy and urged the authorities to let him go.
Police have also found posters of Virat Kohli from his house.
Online reactions by Pakistanis to the incident have been mixed, with many criticizing the police for what they feel is an overreaction to a minor incident. Some have criticized Draz but admitted that he should be let off with a warning.
Across the border in India, hoisting the Pakistan flag is not against the law. But on numerous occasions, police have arrested people displaying the flag of the neighboring country on grounds of disturbing public order.