Virat Kohli’s Pakistani Fan Faces Possible 10-Year Jail Term

Umar Daraz faces charges of treason after he hoisted the Indian flag during a match between Australia and India.

From left to right: Virat Kohli and his Pakistani Fan Umar Daraz. (Photo: India Today’s Twitter Feed/Altered by The Quint)

Notwithstanding a clean chit by police, a Pakistani court has dismissed the bail plea of a young die-hard fan of ace cricketer Virat Kohli, who was arrested on treason charges for hoisting the Indian flag atop his home.

Umar Daraz, a 22-year-old Kohli lookalike, is facing imprisonment of up to 10 years for hoisting the Indian flag atop his house in the Okara district of Punjab province.

Umar’s counsel Amir Bhatti said that they will challenge the decision at a session court. In his report, police officer Aziz Cheema had said no evidence was found suggesting that Umar committed “treason”. However, the judge dismissed his bail plea.

Daraz, who is a tailor by profession, was arrested from his house on January 25 in a village about 200 kilometres from Lahore when India beat Australia in a T20 match and Kohli was declared the ‘man of the match’.

The police registered an FIR against him under section 123-A of Pakistan Penal Code and 16 Maintenance of Public Order. Section 123-A (acts of damaging the sovereignty of the country) carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail or fine or both.

Earlier Bhatti told the court that his client was innocent and that he committed the mistake without knowing the implications.

During football World Cup matches people here used to hoist Brazil and Argentina flags and nobody minds it because the gesture is seen in a sports perspective. This is a similar case. 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.

<b>Umar Daraz</b>

Daraz said he had no idea that he committed a crime, urging the authorities to pardon him as he should be seen as “an Indian cricketer’s fan and not as a spy.” Large photographs of Kohli were found on the walls of Daraz’s house.

Some civil society activists and journalists have raised their voices for his release and termed his gesture purely that of a sports’ lover.