In a pickle: Police detain 19 after being denied 'free burgers' at Lahore restaurant

A group of police officers in Lahore flipped out when a takeaway joint refused to hand over free burgers, detaining all 19 staff at the branch.

Workers at a fast food chain were rounded up and held for seven hours overnight on Saturday, leaving behind unattended kitchens and hungry customers.

Read more: SHO suspended for ‘torturing’ shopkeepers

"This is not the first time something like this has happened with our kitchen teams at our restaurant, but we want to make sure this is the last," the restaurant said in a statement published on social media.

The beef started when staff at the restaurant refused a "request from a very high profile special guest".

Also read: 'Tere aisi ki taisi', 'Drunk' woman assaults police in posh area of Lahore

Following outcry among fans, nine police officers involved were suspended yesterday, Punjab Inspector General Inam Ghani said on Twitter.

"No one is allowed to take the law into his own hands," Ghani said.

Police officers in Pakistan are infamous for corruption and for demanding kickbacks from local businesses.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a reform of Punjab’s police force, saying "cronies" had been appointed by politicians to control police stations.