An FIR has been registered against the fan Muhammad Waqas who ran on the pitch in Multan to hug cricketer Shadab Khan in between the Pakistan-West Indies second ODI.
Police registered the FIR against the fan on Sunday. The case was registered at the Makhdum Rashid police station on behalf of the state through a police officer.
“A man swiftly entered the ground from under the fence near gate number 3, saluted, and hugged a cricketer (Shadab Khan) after reaching the batting crease,” the FIR read.
FIR has been registered against him under sections 188 and 452 of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to Police, Waqas managed to flee the scene by taking advantage of the rush. He was arrested later on and taken to the police station.
FIR has been filed by Multan Police against that fan Muhammad Waqas Ashraf who ran on the field during second ODI to meet Shadab Khan. The same thing had happened in England last year where Jervo was forgiven two times before being punished. #PAKvWI #PAKvsWI pic.twitter.com/QhCVsA99FJ
— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) June 12, 2022
Read more: WATCH: Fan runs on pitch to hug Shadab Khan during 2nd Pak-WI ODI
As per Section 188, a person can be jailed for a maximum of six months for such an offense. He can also face seven-year imprisonment and a fine under Section 452.
A video of the fan appeared last Friday on social media showing him running in the Multan Cricket Stadium to hug Pakistani cricketer Shadab Khan. The incident happened when Pakistan was playing its second match against West Indies.
Shadab Khan was on the pitch and ready to face the ball when Waqas suddenly appeared on the pitch to hug him. The cricketer stopped to hug him. Excited Waqas ran back to the pavilion in excitement after meeting with Shadab Khan.
The incident spurred reactions on Twitter. Some enjoyed the moment of the fan hugging and meeting his favorite cricketer while others said it was a security breach. They believe a fan appearing in the stadium escaping all the security checks is a risk and can jeopardize the return of international cricket in Pakistan which was halted due to terrorism and security lapses following an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.