MURREE, June 8: Influential people, including lawmakers, are using fake number plates on their vehicles and threatening the traffic police personnel of dire consequences if they stop them.

Haji Niaz, a former member National Assembly (MNA) and a leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was travelling in a black Prado with tinted glasses and a fake number plate of ‘Niazi 1’ when he was stopped by Shafiqur Rehman, the in-charge of Jika Gali traffic police, at the Jika Gali bazaar.

When the police officer tried to give the driver a ticket for using the fake number plate and tinted glasses, the former lawmaker got out of the vehicle and not only threatened him with dire consequences but also tried to beat him.

He was saved by tourists from the MNA’s wrath. While leaving the spot, Mr Niaz said he would continue driving the vehicle with the same number plate and nobody can stop him, said the eyewitnesses while talking to this correspondent.

However, the police officer managed to hand over the ticket to the driver.

The same evening, a similar incident took place when the same police officer stopped anther vehicle with the fake number plate of ‘Moazam 1’. Moazam is the younger brother of PPP member Punjab Assembly (MPA) Nargis Faiz Malik.

The police officer seized the number plates and advised the young man driving the vehicle to install the original plates of the number mentioned on the registration book.

The driver got the police officer talk to his sister Nargis Faiz Malik on the phone.

The police officer said the MPA tried to impress upon him by saying that she was sitting in the Zardari House in Islamabad, asking him to release the vehicle which the police officer refused.

When this correspondent contacted Nargis Faiz Malik, she said she had applied for “Moazam 1” which was not allotted to her and instead she was given MJ-1. She said the original plate was inside the vehicle.

Despite repeated attempts, Haji Niaz could not be contacted for comments.

The police officer said he issued tickets to both the former MNA and the brother of the MPA. He said Haji Niaz threatened him and insulted him in front of the public.

He said he had submitted a report to his high-ups about the incidents.