New Delhi, Jan. 3: The Indian high commissioner in Islamabad, Shiv Shankar Menon, has been fined by Pakistani traffic police for speeding.

The incident took place last week on the Islamabad-Lahore motorway when Menon, driving in his Mercedes flag car at a speed of over 120 km per hour, was on his way to receive foreign secretary Shyam Saran in Lahore.

Both South Block and the Pakistani foreign office are trying to play down the incident, which was reported by a section of the media.

Sources in Delhi said, although no report on the incident has been submitted by the high commission in Islamabad, it is unusual for a diplomat to be fined, especially when the envoy is travelling in his flag car. In such cases, the erring diplomat is usually allowed to go with only a warning.