Mansoor Ali Khan rejects Dawn reporter’s motorway allegations, calls claims “false”

Pakistani television anchor and YouTuber Mansoor Ali Khan has rejected allegations circulated on social media that he attempted to use influence to avoid paying a motorway traffic challan, describing the claims as false and based on unverified reporting.

The controversy emerged after journalist Ameer Hamza posted on X alleging that the anchor had been stopped by motorway police while driving at speeds between 180 and 200 kilometres per hour and had refused to pay a ₨5,000 challan. According to the claim, the anchor allegedly argued with motorway police officers, invoked his influence as a television personality, and was ultimately allowed to leave without paying the fine.

The allegation also included additional claims that the anchor was not fasting during Ramadan as he was smoking, for which had been questioned about it by motorway police officers.

In a response posted on his YouTube channel, the anchor disputed the allegation and criticised the reporting process behind it. He said the journalist who shared the claim is associated with Dawn Media Group and argued that the basic principles of journalism require verification from the person being accused before publishing a claim.

He said no one contacted him to verify the story or seek his version before the allegation was circulated online.

According to the anchor, the details presented in the allegation do not match the actual incident and several elements of the claim were inaccurate. He said the event being referenced did not occur in the last two or three days, as suggested in the allegation, but approximately two weeks earlier.

The anchor also rejected the religious element included in the allegation. He said the claim that motorway police questioned him about fasting was fabricated and added that traffic police are not responsible for questioning individuals about religious practices.

He further denied a claim circulating online that he had told officers he was diabetic.

Providing his own account of the incident, the anchor said he was travelling on the motorway in a newly purchased vehicle that did not yet have an M-Tag installed, so he entered a cash lane at a toll plaza.

According to him, motorway officials informed him at the barrier that a traffic challan had been issued against his vehicle. He said he asked officers to explain where the alleged violation had occurred and what rule had been violated during his roughly 350 to 400 kilometre journey.

He said the officials were unable to provide those details immediately and began contacting other personnel to retrieve information about the challan.

During this time, he stepped out of the vehicle and waited while the officers attempted to access the details. He said he wanted the interaction to take place in view of the cameras installed at the toll plaza so that the exchange would be recorded.

The anchor said he was not refusing to pay a fine but wanted to know the reason for the challan before making the payment.

After several attempts to retrieve the information, he said the officials told him he could proceed without paying because the details were not available.

According to the anchor, he insisted that the fine should be collected if it had been legitimately issued and offered to pay the amount in cash. He said the officials declined and asked him to continue his journey in order to clear the lane.

He added that before leaving, some of the officers asked to take a photograph with him. In his video response, he displayed a cropped image of the selfie taken with the officers, saying he had removed their faces to avoid causing them any professional difficulty.

The anchor also showed screenshots of previous motorway challans issued to him in earlier incidents, along with receipts indicating that they had been paid. He said these examples were presented to demonstrate that he had previously paid fines for traffic violations, including cases involving overspeeding.

He further invited authorities or members of the public to review CCTV footage from the toll plaza to verify his account of the interaction.

The dispute highlights how disagreements between journalists are increasingly unfolding on social media platforms, where allegations and responses often circulate widely before any official clarification is issued.