Pakistan police arrest Kohli fan for hoisting Indian flag: Those who have watched the Bollywood flick, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ would reminisce the scene where the protagonist of the story, a six year old girl named Munni cheers for a victorious Pakistani team and kisses Pakistan’s national flag on the television screen amidst a host of glowering and disappointed Indian supporters. The girl’s identity? A Pakistani inhabitant from Azad Kashmir, who gets lost in India. However, her citizenship and religious roots did not deter a staunch and simple minded Hindu in Pawan (played by Salman Khan) to take her under his wing and get her back to her family in Pakistan without any sort of assistance from the diplomatic agencies in the two countries.
Now juxtapose the reel life scenario with a real life incident. On the one hand when Virat Kohli’s effusive 90* (off 55 balls) inspired India to a 37 run victory over Australia in the first T20I at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday, one of his die-hard fans in Pakistan has been arrested for celebrating the ace batsman’s majestic knock by hoisting the Indian flag on his rooftop. He is Umar Draz, a Pakistani inhabitant who hails from the district of Okara of Punjab province, which is about 200 km away from Lahore. The Police arrested him on the basis of a complaint filed by an anonymous person which alleged him of rejoicing India’s win by upraising the Indian tri-colour atop his home on Tuesday which was incidentally India’s Republic Day. On receiving the complaint, the Police wasted no time in raiding his house and eventually found the flag on his rooftop. The law enforcement officers also spotted posters and cut outs of Kohli on the walls of Draz’s house. ‘’We raided the house of Umar Draz and seized the Indian flag on his rooftop’’, said Muhammad Jamil, a police official who was in charge of the raid. According to the police officials, Draz could serve a maximum term of ten years in prison and a fine. Regional Police officer Faisal Rana echoed the fact when he said, ‘’Draz initially told us that he is a true Pakistani but likes Kohli and never knew that was a crime. His act is against our country’s sovereignty and is against the ideology of Pakistan. We have registered a case under Maintenance of Public Order against Draz’’. Draz was produced in the court on the same day and has been kept in Police custody. What was the ‘lawbreaker’s’ reaction to the entire fiasco? ‘’I am a big fan of Virat Kohli. Hoisting of Indian flag on the rooftop of my house only shows my love for the Indian cricketer. I apologise for my act and request the authorities to pardon me for I am only an Indian player’s fan and not a spy’’, Draz told the media when asked why he manifested his emotions by hoisting the Indian flag.
