The controversy over Islamabad's chief commissioner and inspector general of police riding in a ceremonial horse-drawn buggy at the August 14 celebrations has exposed a curious gap between official protocol and the public perception of privilege. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi defended the two officials, saying they had used the buggy only after being instructed to start the programme because the chief guest and other dignitaries had been delayed.
Naqvi's tweet made it clear that the officers were not at fault and had in fact been reluctant to ride in the buggy, but were instructed to do so. The interior minister said "we instructed" them, without specifying who he meant by "we". Two days later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, however, expressed "disappointment and displeasure" over the episode, saying it projected an image of pomp, privilege and ostentation.
Naqvi, in a post on X, said he wanted to clarify that "it was neither the IG's nor the Chief Commissioner's fault". He explained that he and the chief guest had been delayed because of a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to Naqvi, the crowd had been waiting since 5 pm and, when it became clear around 6 pm that the dignitaries would be late, the officers were instructed to start the programme so that the public would not have to wait any longer.
He said the buggy had been arranged for the chief guest and that the officers were supposed to use it alongside the chief guest, but "due to unavoidable circumstances" it was used by them instead. Naqvi also maintained that both officials had initially resisted starting the programme in the absence of the chief guest but proceeded after receiving specific instructions. The Prime Minister's office, however, focused on the image created by the decision rather than the circumstances that led to it.
In separate letters issued to Islamabad Chief Commissioner Lt (Retd) Sohail Ashraf and Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, the Prime Minister's office said the premier had taken a "very serious view" of the incident.The letters said the officials' appearance in the ceremonial horse-drawn buggy had attracted widespread public criticism. The prime minister, according to the advisory, expressed "disappointment and displeasure" at what he viewed as a display of pomp and show.
He observed that the incident projected "an image of privilege, ostentation and personal aggrandisement", which was wholly at odds with the ethos of public service. The prime minister also reminded the two officials that civil servants and public functionaries hold public office in trust for the people and are expected to demonstrate humility, restraint, dignity and sound judgment at all times. The PM notice did not accuse the officials of violating a specific rule but addressed the broader question of propriety and public confidence, making clear that conduct may be considered inappropriate even when it is undertaken under official instructions.
The two officials were advised to exercise greater care in the performance of their duties and ensure that such conduct did not recur. The communication was described as an advisory for "strict compliance in letter and spirit". The episode has therefore produced an unusual official contradiction.
The Interior Minister's defence rested on the argument that the officers were following instructions and trying to prevent the public from waiting. The Prime Minister's reaction rested on the argument that public officials must also consider how their actions appear to citizens.