The Lahore Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office has removed an X post highlighting that DC Capt (r) Muhammad Ali Ijaz stepped out of his office to meet a differently-abled citizen.
The removal came amid social media criticism, including a series of comments by senior journalist Rauf Klasra who questioned the portrayal of the interaction as an example of public-friendly governance.
Klasra questioned whether meeting members of the public should be portrayed as an extraordinary act by a senior government official.
“The duties that are considered part of the normal responsibilities of these deputy commissioners are now being treated as a favour when they perform them,” he wrote, arguing that routine responsibilities were being presented as favours.
He also questioned the decision to publicise the meeting, saying the DC had left his chair after being informed about the citizen, brought a cameraman along and later shared the interaction on his official account.
Klasra sarcastically described the episode as evidence of “kindness, compassion, benevolence and humanity” before questioning whether there was any bigger example of what he called “public-friendly and compassionate governance” in Lahore.
He further connected the episode to the changing public image of DCs under the Punjab government led by Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz, and argued that officials who once held powerful administrative positions were increasingly using social media and “TikTok-style content” to project their work.
