Sports

Is Kohli's Pakistani fan in for surprise rescue?

Virat’s brother, Vikas, agrees to seek his brother's views on convincing Pakistan government to exonerate Draz

Sports Desk January 30, 2016

PHOTO COURTESY: PTI

Umar Draz, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s Pakistani fan who was sent to jail on judicial remand for hoisting an Indian flag on his rooftop in Okara, might be in for a surprise rescue from his superstar.

Virat’s brother, Vikas, has agreed to seek his brother's views on convincing the Pakistan government to exonerate Draz.

Kohli's Pakistani fan arrested for hoisting Indian flag on rooftop

"Yes, we have heard about this incident and feel sorry for the fan,” said Vikas.

"I shall certainly seek Virat's views after the match on Friday. We will also consult the right people and decide whether to approach the Pakistan government,” he added.

The 22-year-old Draz, who works as a tailor in the Okara district of Punjab, said he did not know it was a crime to hoist the Indian tri-color.

Pakistani Kohli fan facing 10 years in jail for hoisting Indian flag

"We are in a family function today and can't think of the right people to be identified for this appeal at this moment but will surely speak to Virat,” Vikas added.Police said Draz, 22, went “against the ideology of Pakistan” when he waved the flag at his house in Okara town in Punjab province Tuesday during India’s match against Australia in Adelaide.

Nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India have a long history of animosity dating back to independence from Britain in 1947, and have fought three wars.

Regional police officer Faisal Rana said Draz was charged under Pakistan’s penal code with acting against Pakistan’s sovereignty. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine.

Kohli fan’s arrest shows Pakistan’s hatred towards India: Shiv Sena

“Daraz initially told us that he is a true Pakistani but likes Kohli and never knew that was a crime,” Rana told media.

“His act is against our country’s sovereignty and is against the ideology of Pakistan.”

Rana said Daraz’s home was also full of Kohli pictures.

“He is a diehard fan of Kohli and there were big posters pasted on the walls of his house,” the officer said.

The story was reported by Deccan Chronicle

COMMENTS (29)

Muhammad | 8 years ago | Reply I have a Dhoni poster in my room. I am removing it i dont want to face 10 years in jail.

ramdar | 8 years ago | Reply @Sammy: Are the 2 incidents comparable? One was celebrating defeat of own national team, other is celebrating win of his favorite player's team against a third party. Kashmiri students are admitted to non-Kashmir universities in India (at the cost of depriving locals) based on their agreeing to follow the duties of an Indian citizen & behave responsibly.

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ramdar | 8 years ago | Reply @SK: India's growing Hindu fanaticism is resulting in not allowing cricket with Pakistan, disturbing concerts of Pakistani artists, throwing ink on host of Pakistani dignitaries ( Mr Kasoori) & isolated cases of violence, where culprits are arrested & punished. Pakistan's fanaticism is reflected in attacks on school children, massacres of Shia/ Bohri Muslims, glorifying killers (of Mr Taseer) & many terrorists ( like Lakhvi..) banned by UN. In India, Hindu & Islamic fanaticism sustain themselves as a reaction to each other. In Pakistan the fanatics are produced in Madressas. There is really no comparison.

Mushabir Zakit | 8 years ago | Reply @Sammy: Spot on.

SK | 8 years ago | Reply @Rahul: We are better placed still. You need to think now about fighting the growing religious intolerance in your country. Where the state is increasingly looking powerless to protect its minorities from the increasing hindu fanatism. We are fight our own battle against terrorism and close to winning. You are now just waking up to it.

G Indian | 8 years ago | Reply He might be a fan of Kohli, but hoisting Indian flag has a totally different meaning. He could be guilty according to the law. I request Pakistani authorities to not lock him up for 10 years for a crime that was caused by his stupidity.

Rahul | 8 years ago | Reply @Fauji's son: All this misdirected Jingoism has placed Pakistan where it is today.

saket | 8 years ago | Reply @Nathan Singh: your are paksitani you showed your color by dragging sikh in this discussion every year 5000 thousand hidus and sikh seek asylum in india from your land of pure

ramdar | 8 years ago | Reply @Lion King: Yes, India too has fanatics who lynched a person due to their mistaken beliefs. Those criminals are facing court trial. However you should know which country in the subcontinent has more murders attributed to such religious fanaticism. BTW, this article is about hoisting a foreign flag, not about beef or pork or blasphemy....

roadkashehzada | 8 years ago | Reply @ajeet: u think kashmiris are never jailed??? indian army sheds flowers on people hoisting pakistani flag in kashimir??? @pankaj its ZZZZiarat

Lion King | 8 years ago | Reply @ramdar: Well when you people can burn alive humans on just a suspicion (that also false) of eating beef so anything can be expected (feared) from your side.

azmat | 8 years ago | Reply @Ram Singh Soni: I agree with you sir. This should not have happened in any case but this is not something that you can blame PCB for. Its the narrow mindedness of some low level police thanedar but i am surprised at the Panjab govt for not providing him relief despite the news making headlines since last one week. I also appreciate the nice gesture shown by Virat's brother (which will hopefully be followed by Virat).

Ashraf | 8 years ago | Reply Tension between the two nations is one thing but this is ridiculous.

chona | 8 years ago | Reply No need to make it an issue.. Law is a law....Pakistan has a law which states that citizens can not hoist even their own flags except on national days..He, of all the countries hoists a flag of India and you think all will be rosy? What about repeated arrests in Kashmir of people who hoisted Pak flags there? If it happened in Indian Gujarat or Mumbai, someone hoisting Pak flag.... what would have happened there..... I loved Gavaskar and Dravid or for that matter Richards , Lara , Steve WAUGH etc...If I also start hoisting flags then my home would look like UN office...simple...case closed...rule is rule...

Syed Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply @Ram Singh Soni: who is the sir?

Syed Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply Shiv Sena jokers rip up cricket pitches in their hatred of Pakistan, and now they are trying to make everyone laugh....oh please stop Shiv Sena, you are too funny with your stupid statements.

ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply We too must jail the Kashmiri extremists hoisting Pakistani flags to 10 years

Pankaj | 8 years ago | Reply People who vandalize jiyarat and who attacked APS and those who killed innocents in Mumbai are still awaiting trial in Pakistan. but person who helped catch OBL and who is an innocent fan of indian cricket and done some harmless act in negligence are granted swift punishments. Remember What H. Ali said: you can base your system on Kufra but not on Injustice. Pakistan is the best example of violation of this.

NKAli | 8 years ago | Reply On face value, this is a straight-forward case of innocence. A burst of excessive emotion for Kohli, as is seen. Frankly, even I did not of a law of waving the Indian flag. Please let him go with a few caveats. Salams

Nathan Singh | 8 years ago | Reply @Timorlane: The RSS will porbably lynch him and skin him alive if he hoisted paksitani flag in India. They are very intolerant especially towards sikhs and minority religions.

Fauji's son | 8 years ago | Reply I feel the need to add my comments here. I am the son of a solider, who was a son of a solider. My uncles, cousins, nephews have worn the khaki. I count 'stars' in my family as a measure of my family's contribution to Pakistan and its security. I dislike Virat Kohli. I find his personality childish and immature. But I respect his nerves under pressure and his aggressiveness on the field. However, I feel absolutely outraged that a cricket fan raising the Indian flag over his home to pay homage to his sports hero gets sent to prison. If Pakistan's 'sovereignty' is threatened by the raising of a piece of multi-coloured cloth than I am afraid we have very serious problems at hand. This was not a case of Kashmiris' raising the Pakistani flag to show their opposition to the Indian state and its continuous oppression. This was an act of pure love and respect by a 22 year old for his cricket hero. At most, he could have been warned if peoples sensitivities were hurt.

Naresh | 8 years ago | Reply @Ram Singh Soni: Sir, every Pakistani official Of PCB says there should not be politics in cricket.This innocent tailor die hard fan of cricket is put behind bars for his no fault. this is worse than blasphemy law. i fail to understand why Pakistani players, PCB officials though so vocal are silent now? Sir Ji you are totally wrong. Hosting a Flag of your Country's Enemy - Pakistani Leaderships' and a Vast Majority of Pakistanis perception about India - cannot be tolerated. The person doing so must be suitably cautioned and warned against repetition as this would lead to stricter punishment. I repeat in the present circumstances and the relations between our two nations does not permit us to Hoist the Flag of the Enemy Country. Cheers

Sammy | 8 years ago | Reply In India, a group of Kashmiri Students last year were Beaten for cheering for Pakistani Team at an Indian University campus and those Kashmiri Students were suspended by the University's chancellor. Though this decision of Jailing the poor Pakistani guy was wrong, the same type of treatment is also given to people in India and recently with RSS ruling India, the two countries can not even host cricket matches. This is just a small reflection from Pakistani side on the what goes in India. Two wrongs don't make it right, but Indians also have been doing the same thing recently. Its unfortunate and must stop.

ramdar | 8 years ago | Reply @Timorlane: ''If he were an indian and had hoisted Pakistani flag in india he would’ve been stoned or burned to death by indians'' There have been incidents of hoisting Pakistani flag in India, none was stoned or burnt. Hoisting foreign flag without knowing legal implications is different than doing it deliberately to display hostility to your own country. If an Indian celebrates defeat of his home team, he will be warned, not for celebrating victory of his favorite team against a third party, which happens to be the case here.

k k khan | 8 years ago | Reply Oh man, what are we upto?

Last Word | 8 years ago | Reply @Timorlane: Your imagination is beyond ones comprehension. No one has ever been thrashed or convicted for hoisting Pakistani flag in India till date. Many a times this was done in India with defiance but in Pakistan it was done on sport appreciation which is such trivial matter but blown out of proportion. As this man has already apologised, he should be released with a warning not to repeat it in future.

SK | 8 years ago | Reply There are two separate elements to this case. For supporting and idealising an Indian cricketer. There is no case here, most Pakistani citizen idealized one or the other boĺlywood heroes and heroines.Many have their poster or photos in their homes. This is no crime. Now hoisting a foreign flag is a culpable crime. It is a trivial crime especially if it is committed in ignorance and there is no malign intention behind it. Then the matter should be dealt light heartedly and the accused should be released after minor rebuke.

Ram Singh Soni | 8 years ago | Reply Sir, every Pakistani official Of PCB says there should not be politics in cricket.This innocent tailor die hard fan of cricket is put behind bars for his no fault. this is worse than blasphemy law. i fail to understand why Pakistani players, PCB officials though so vocal are silent now? Mountain is being made out of a mole. I feel pity for aam admi tailor .

Timorlane | 8 years ago | Reply If he were an indian and had hoisted Pakistani flag in india he would've been stoned or burned to death by indians here the media is making him into a hero.

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