04 January 2004	Sunday	11 Ziqa'ad 1424

LAHORE, Jan 3: The National Highways and Motorway Police issued challans to 48 VIPs including political leaders, ministers, MNAs, MPAs, cricketers, film actresses and army men for over-speeding during 2003.

Sources said the VIPs were among 113,563 people booked for crossing the speed limit in the year 2003, who were fined a total of Rs42.20 million.

According to NH&MP sources, the VIPs included MMA leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Tehrik Insaf chairman Imran Khan, PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PML leader Mian Azhar, MMA leaders Hafiz Hussain Ahmad and Liaquat Baloch, former president Farooq Leghari, defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Lahore district Nazim Mian Aamir Mahmood, Punjab ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal, Shaukat Ali Bhatti and Hussain Jahanian, Amir Sultan Cheema and Gul Hameed Rokhari, Sindh minister Tahseen Zafar and Sindh chief minister's brother Ali Nawaz Mehar.

The former Pakistan Cricket Board chief, Lt-Gen Tauqeer Zia (Retired), cricketers Inzmamul Haq, Mudasar Nazar and Mushtaq Ahmad and filmstars Saima, Nirma, Meera and Sana.

MNAs Ghulam Murtaza Khar, Riaz Fatiana, Tariq Aziz, Tahira Asif, Bushra Rehman, Tahmina Daultana, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Elahi Bakhsh Soomro, Hamid Nasir Chattha, Ejazul Haq and Senator Waqar Ahmed.

Punjab Assembly opposition leader Qasim Zia, MPAs Imbisat and Ghulam Mohiuddin.

Maj-Gen Iftikhar Hussain, Brigadiers Waheed, Muhammad Hassan, Sikandar Hayat, Liaquat Rashid, F.J. Durrani and Israr.

Justice Farrukh Mahmood, Justice Nazir Siddiqi and the Canadian high commissioner.

There was a 27 per cent increase in the number of challans over 2002.