Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has sparked controversy after wearing a police uniform at a passing-out ceremony for women constables and traffic assistants.
The occasion, which marked the induction of over 650 women into the Punjab police, took place on Thursday.
At the event, women police cadets welcomed Maryam, surrounding her as she received applause from officers while dressed in police attire.
Pictures of Maryam participating in the parade while wearing the police uniform have garnered widespread attention on social media. While many praise her for the gesture, others question the rationale behind it.
Maryam, the daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is not the first Chief Minister of the province to wear a police uniform on such an occasion. Her father had made a similar gesture during his tenure as the provincial chief minister.
Taking to social media platform X on Thursday, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) shared a picture of her father, Nawaz Sharif, dressed in a police uniform.
“Following in her father’s footsteps, CM Maryam Nawaz exemplifies support for Punjab police, including the women officers, by donning the police uniform,” PML-N wrote.
Following in her father’s footsteps, CM Maryam Nawaz exemplifies support for Punjab police, including the women officers, by donning the police uniform. pic.twitter.com/FvOvMfGXSb— PMLN (@pmln_org) April 25, 2024
Legal Action Against Maryam
Criticising Maryam for wearing the cop uniform, a Lahore-based lawyer went to the extent of filing a petition before a sessions court. The petition sought the registration of a case against the chief minister for ‘impersonating’ a police officer, as per Dawn report.
Despite facing criticism, both the ruling PML-N and the Punjab province police have come to Maryam’s defence.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said in a statement that heads of states can wear the uniform of their forces to enhance their respect. “Nawaz Sharif did the same when he was in power and CM Maryam has followed suit,” he added.
Backing Maryam, the Punjab Police shared a copy of the relevant rules governing the attire of governors and chief ministers on formal occasions.
“As per the ‘Punjab Police Dress Regulations’, the CM of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is entitled to wear the police uniform. This has been widely celebrated by the police personnel, who view it as a commendable show of solidarity,” the Punjab Police shared on X along with the statement.
As per the ‘Punjab Police Dress Regulations’, the CM of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is entitled to wear the police uniform. This has been widely celebrated by the police personnel, who view it as a commendable show of solidarity. The Central Police Office has received hundreds… pic.twitter.com/GFtXBNSuZo— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) April 25, 2024
Speaking to the Karachi-based publication, a former inspector general of police clarified that Maryam had not violated any law by wearing the police uniform. He added that prosecution would only apply if someone wore the uniform with the intention to ‘deceive or defraud’.
“There has been a practice of nominating someone like cricketers, children etc as goodwill ambassadors of police, and that person also wears the uniform. Similarly, a DPO is authorised to declare anyone a special police officer,” he stated.