Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s appearance as the chief guest at a passing out parade of female police officers at Chung Police Training School, where she donned a police uniform, has sparked a flurry of reactions, both positive and negative, across social media platforms.
The event saw female police cadets warmly welcoming Maryam Nawaz, surrounding her as she received applause from officers while adorned in the police attire. Many attendees eagerly took pictures with her, capturing the momentous occasion.
However, former Supreme Court Bar office bearer Advocate Supreme Court Aftab Ahmad Bajwa took a different stance, filing a petition seeking a court order for the registration of an FIR against Maryam Nawaz for wearing the police uniform.
The ceremony, organised at Chung Training College, marked the passing out parade of a new batch of female police officers. Maryam Nawaz, herself a woman, attended as the chief guest, wearing the police uniform as a gesture of goodwill and to express solidarity with the graduating recruits as they prepared to embark on their duties.
The visuals of Maryam participating in the passing out parade while wearing the uniform ignited a storm of controversy on social media. Critics viewed her actions as inappropriate and unworthy of her stature, with some accusing her of violating regulations and committing a criminal offense by wearing the police uniform without holding the official position of a police officer.
Bajwa, renowned for his involvement in the Sabzazar encounter case, petitioned the court to register a criminal case against Maryam Nawaz for allegedly committing a criminal offense by donning the police uniform.
In response to the criticism and legal challenge, the Punjab Police defended Maryam Nawaz’s actions, citing the Punjab Police Dress Regulations 2024, which permit the Chief Minister of Punjab to wear the police uniform on formal occasions.