Flag Featuring Punjab Chief Minister’s Image Removed from Government College Building; Principal Issued Warning
Principal says: “Installing the flag was my personal decision.”
Gujrat ( Web News)
After a video went viral on social media, a flag bearing the image of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was taken down from a government college building in the city of Gujrat, where it had been hoisted alongside Pakistan’s national flag. The college principal was issued a warning and instructed to be more cautious in the future.
Deputy Director of Colleges Gujrat, Shoaib Butt, told the BBC that the college principal had submitted a written explanation after being asked for a response. In his reply, the principal stated that he was deeply impressed by Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s initiatives in Punjab, and that was why he had personally decided to hoist the flag bearing her image on the college building.
It should be noted that the ruling party in Punjab, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has often faced criticism for promoting Maryam Nawaz’s image through various government initiatives — whether it be ration packets for flood victims, low-cost flour bags, or other welfare projects. Opposition parties and public circles have criticized the government for using such schemes for personal publicity. The Punjab government, however, maintains that its publicity campaigns aim solely to inform the public about government programs and performance.
A similar incident recently occurred in the Kharian tehsil of Gujrat district. In the viral social media videos, the Government Graduate College for Boys can be seen with Pakistan’s national flag flying alongside a flag featuring Maryam Nawaz’s portrait.
The college principal later clarified that hoisting the flag was his personal decision, not a political act. After the videos went viral, the Education Department issued a written notice demanding an explanation. In his written response, the principal said the action was intended purely as an expression of appreciation, not for political promotion. He described it as a tribute to the Chief Minister’s performance in the education sector, citing programs such as the Laptop Scheme, Scholarship Program, Scooty (motorcycle) initiative for female students, and bus provision for colleges.
The principal further explained that the students were themselves inspired by the Chief Minister’s initiatives and had requested that he acknowledge her contributions. He said his only intention was to encourage students’ positive feelings and appreciation for leadership, but expressed deep regret that the flag was hoisted without prior approval or notification to the Education Department. He apologized and confirmed that the flag featuring Maryam Nawaz’s image was immediately removed after the department’s notice.
Deputy Director Shoaib Butt told BBC Urdu that following the principal’s explanation, a warning letter was issued, instructing him to avoid such actions in the future.
In the viral video clip, a citizen can be heard complaining that the national flag appeared tattered, while the flag featuring Maryam Nawaz was of good quality.
Tahir Malik, a university professor in Islamabad, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the incident reflected a culture of flattery and political servitude, adding that it was disappointing that a college principal equated sycophancy with progress.
Responding to Malik’s post, senior journalist Matiullah Jan wrote: “Under which flag are we united?” Another user, Atif Ali, shared a photo of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s new Chief Minister Sohaib Afridi, whose office displayed both the PTI party flag and Imran Khan’s portrait.
Among those criticizing the act was Shaista Alam, a leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), who posted on X: “For the first time in history, a flag bearing Maryam Nawaz’s image was hoisted alongside Pakistan’s national flag. This was the only step left for Punjab — even the national flag has now been used for political publicity.”
Another user, Mubashir Hayat, wrote that while Maryam Nawaz may appear fond of personal publicity, he believed she herself would not have approved of this act.
This is not the first time the Punjab government has faced criticism over the personal promotion of Maryam Nawaz. Earlier this year, in January, almost all major Urdu newspapers in Pakistan carried front-page advertorials highlighting Punjab’s one-year performance and development projects announced by the Chief Minister — printed in a news-style format, differing from regular news only in diacritical marks.
When questioned about these “news-style advertisements” and the public criticism surrounding them, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari responded that the criticism was not from the readers but from a political party that had failed to deliver any performance of its own.
Similarly, during flood relief operations, the Punjab government was also criticized by some quarters for using such efforts as a publicity tool.
The warning letter issued by Deputy Director Shoaib Butt stated that the flag had been hoisted without prior notification or approval from the relevant authorities, and therefore, the act constituted administrative misconduct.