Allama Iqbal International Airport’s authorities on Wednesday arrested an official for allegedly asking Australian journalist Dennis Freedman for a bribe, when he was about to leave the country after covering Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020.
Freedman, after reaching his homeland Australia, shared a video on Twitter, detailing his ordeal at the Lahore airport on March 8. He said, "I was going through the immigration, and while I was in the line, some guy — a plain-clothed officer came to me, and gave me an offer that he would take me to the quick lane. I took the offer as I thought that the guy is being helpful and doing all this voluntarily.”
https://twitter.com/DennisCricket_/status/1237271003916423168?s=20
The journalist said, “in a couple of minutes, my passport was stamped, and he [the official] walks me through the airport lounge, sits me down and then asks me for money.” He added, "I told him I don't have any money. He said the guy then aggressively asked for US dollars or money of any other currency. “I had about Rs350 and I gave it to him to shut him up but I wish I hadn't. I wish I had called the corruption line," Dennis said in the video.
Following Freedman's video started doing the rounds on social media, Prime Minister Office (PMO) took notice of the incident. Subsequently, the official, identified as Imran Muzaffar was arrested through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. The authorities said that the suspect was an employee of a private firm and worked in the CIP Lounge.
Freedman, after reaching his homeland Australia, shared a video on Twitter, detailing his ordeal at the Lahore airport on March 8. He said, "I was going through the immigration, and while I was in the line, some guy — a plain-clothed officer came to me, and gave me an offer that he would take me to the quick lane. I took the offer as I thought that the guy is being helpful and doing all this voluntarily.”
https://twitter.com/DennisCricket_/status/1237271003916423168?s=20
The journalist said, “in a couple of minutes, my passport was stamped, and he [the official] walks me through the airport lounge, sits me down and then asks me for money.” He added, "I told him I don't have any money. He said the guy then aggressively asked for US dollars or money of any other currency. “I had about Rs350 and I gave it to him to shut him up but I wish I hadn't. I wish I had called the corruption line," Dennis said in the video.
Following Freedman's video started doing the rounds on social media, Prime Minister Office (PMO) took notice of the incident. Subsequently, the official, identified as Imran Muzaffar was arrested through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. The authorities said that the suspect was an employee of a private firm and worked in the CIP Lounge.