Four cricketers arrested for "respecting" Pakistan national anthem

Four Kashmiri boys were arrested on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district for lining up as Pakistan‘s national anthem was played before the start of a cricket match. After a video went viral showing the conduct of these players in Arin village before the start of the match, the police arrested four, according to local reports.

Local news portals reported that the incident took place at the finals of a cricket tournament in Arin, Bandipora between MCC, Gondipora and Dardpora Cricket Club. Police confirmed that they have booked the two teams but did not give details about the number of people who were arrested or the identity of the teams. The police said that they were looking for the organisers of the match who arranged the shooting of the video.

Video footage

In the video, two cricket teams – one wearing green and another white – are purportedly seen standing in attention in two lines on either side of the pitch as ‘Pak Sarzameen’ played in the background. The players bowed their heads as the loudspeakers blurted the neighbouring country’s anthem.

SSP Bandipora, Zulfiqar Azad said, “The teams have been booked,” as reported by HT.

Station House Officer Bandipora Gazanafar Ahmad while confirming the arrests said, “We have booked the teams under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Act with FIR number 4/2018.”

This is not the first time that cricket matches have led to arrests in Kashmir. Earlier, in 2016 as well, a video went viral on social media showing local cricketers line up to “salute” Pakistan’s national anthem before the start of a match in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Police had detained at least 11 Kashmiri cricketers then but they were let off after assurances from the parents.

In February, a video clip of Pakistan’s anthem sung by two Kashmiri musicians using traditional instruments went viral on social media in the valley. To avoid the misuse of social media to stoke passions between India and Pakistan, the government had on April 26 last year ordered the suspension of 22 sites, including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, in the violence-hit valley. The ban was lifted after a month in May.