Four cops arrested after shaking down star cricketer

KARACHI/ SUKKUR: Four police officers have been charged with corruption hours after one of the country´s top cricketers complained of having been shaken down for bribes during a recent road trip, officials said Tuesday.

Sohaib Maqsood, who played 29 one-day internationals and 26 Twenty20 matches for Pakistan until 2021, wrote on X that he had been stopped while driving from Karachi to Multan.

“Sindh police is so corrupt that they stop you after 50 km and ask for money or they threat you to go to the police station...,” he posted.

He said he paid 8,000 rupees (around $28) on his way to take part in a T20 match.

Later Tuesday, a statement from Sindh police said four police officers had been found to have been involved in the incident.

“Legal action has been initiated,” the statement said, adding that two police officials had been suspended for “negligence”. Meanwhile, SSP Nawabshah Haider Raza said that the incident of allegedly taking money from players Sohaib Maqsood and Aamir Yamin took place at Keria stop in Nawabshah. The police officers involved in the incident were identified as head constable Allah Dino Jamali, constable Akhtar Ali Lund, constable Gulzar Ali Zardari and driver Mumtaz Ali Zardari. An FIR under section 109, 384 and 385 PPC was registered against them and they were detained at Skrand Police Station.