LAHORE, March 9: M. Shabbir Iqbal shot a brilliant eight-under-par card of 64 to emerge as first day leader of the Multan Open Golf Championship at the Multan Golf Club on Friday.

With champions from all over Pakistan competing, the competition assumes a special stature of its own and Iqbal seemed to be in full command living up to his repuatation of being the top ranked player of the county.

Shabbir showed his class, and played virtually perfect golf at a course, which has always been an easy course for the golfers, producing a plenty of under-par scores.

At second position was Qamar Hussain, who is three strokes behind to the leader.