Islamabad: Notwithstanding a police clean chit, 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 Virat Kohli lookalike, is facing an imprisonment of up to 10 years for hoisting the Indian flag atop his house in Okara district in Punjab province.
District court judge Anique Anwar announced his verdict yesterday.
Police officer Aziz Cheema told reporters he had said in his report that no evidence was found that Mr Daraz committed "treason". However, the judge dismissed his bail plea.
The police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him under section 123-A of Pakistan Penal Code and 16 Maintenance of Public Order. The section 123-A (acts of damaging the sovereignty of the country) carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail or fine or both.
He said Mr Daraz committed the mistake without knowing the implications. "This is not a case in which someone was hoisting the flag of any country for its love. 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," he said.
He 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."
Some civil society activists and journalists have raised their voice for his release and termed his gesture purely that of a sports' lover.
Umar Daraz, a 22-year-old Virat Kohli lookalike, is facing an imprisonment of up to 10 years for hoisting the Indian flag atop his house in Okara district in Punjab province.
District court judge Anique Anwar announced his verdict yesterday.
Police officer Aziz Cheema told reporters he had said in his report that no evidence was found that Mr Daraz committed "treason". However, the judge dismissed his bail plea.
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The police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him under section 123-A of Pakistan Penal Code and 16 Maintenance of Public Order. The section 123-A (acts of damaging the sovereignty of the country) carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail or fine or both.
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He said Mr Daraz committed the mistake without knowing the implications. "This is not a case in which someone was hoisting the flag of any country for its love. 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," he said.
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He 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."
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Some civil society activists and journalists have raised their voice for his release and termed his gesture purely that of a sports' lover.
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