Beyond buggy bureaucracy scandal

August 23, 2026

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s displeasure over the use of a horse-drawn buggy by Islamabad’s chief commissioner and police chief on Independence Day is understandable. Senior government officials should avoid displays that can create an impression of privilege or personal glory.

The Establishment Division has now issued an advisory to Islamabad Chief Commissioner Lt (retd) Sohail Ashraf and Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi. It said the use of the ceremonial buggy attracted public criticism and did not reflect the humility and restraint expected from public servants.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, however, defended the officials, saying they had not arranged the buggy themselves. According to him, it had originally been arranged for the chief guest, while delays involving the president and prime minister meant the programme had to start without them. That explanation should also be considered.

But the bigger issue is not the buggy. A horse-drawn buggy on Independence Day is a small gesture. Pakistan’s real problem is a bureaucracy that too often appears disconnected from the people it is supposed to serve.

An advisory or official rebuke may settle this particular controversy, but it will not change the culture of public administration. The government needs to ask a much bigger question: Does the bureaucracy work primarily for public welfare, or has it developed a culture of privilege, protocol and personal status?

A senior official should be judged not by the vehicle he rides in, but by the quality of services delivered to ordinary citizens.

People need government offices that respond quickly, police stations that treat citizens with dignity, permits that do not require endless visits, and public services that work without influence or connections.

Pakistan therefore needs a serious bureaucratic overhaul. Officials should be rewarded for efficiency, transparency and public service—not simply seniority and protocol.

There should also be clear rules against unnecessary displays of privilege, particularly when millions of citizens are struggling with rising costs and limited public services.

The buggy may have been a minor matter. But it has exposed a much bigger problem.

Rebuking two officials is not enough. We need a bureaucracy that understands one simple principle: public office is a responsibility, not a privilege.