Cricketer summoned after using Palestinian flag during league match in Jammu and Kashmir

Furqan Bhat, who was representing the local JK11 team in the Jammu and Kashmir Champions League, used a Palestinian flag on his helmet during a match against the Jammu Trailblazers on Wednesday.

Following the incident, the Jammu Rural Police summoned Bhat for questioning.

Police officials said the organiser of the league, Zahid Bhat, as well as the person who provided the ground for the match, will also be questioned as part of the investigation.

Authorities said further inquiries are underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether any laws or regulations were violated.

The incident comes amid ongoing global protests in support of the Palestinian demand for statehood, months after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas, the armed group that controls the Gaza Strip.

Protests have intensified worldwide as Gaza faces severe food shortages and a lack of essential medicines.

Several humanitarian organisations have warned that the situation could worsen if Israel proceeds with plans to ban 37 aid groups operating in the region, a move that international agencies say could undermine the fragile gains made during the ceasefire.

India, as part of its long-standing foreign policy, has maintained its support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian state.