Lead by Example Before Asking the Public to Sacrifice

By Mubasher Lucman.

In Pakistan today, there is a glaring, almost humiliating disconnect between those who govern and those they govern. Ordinary citizens are struggling to cope with skyrocketing fuel costs, yet at the top, life continues as if nothing has changed. Ministers and high-ranking bureaucrats move around in massive, fuel-guzzling official vehicles, accompanied by police convoys that cost millions, just to maintain appearances. They attend lavish state dinners, live in official real estate worth billions, and continue to enjoy privileges that are completely out of reach for the average Pakistani. Meanwhile, the public is being told to embrace austerity, reduce expenses, and “tighten their belts.” It’s audacious, infuriating, and entirely unacceptable.

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I experience this every day, trapped in hours-long traffic caused by the Pakistan Super League (PSL). My fuel burns away while the city crawls inch by inch. And yet, at the same time, a handful of elites are enjoying VIP seating, air-conditioned lounges, and exclusive invites to matches, as if the rest of us don’t exist. The PSL is not just a sporting spectacle—it has become a display of privilege. For ordinary citizens, it is a daily slap in the face, a reminder that while we sweat and burn fuel in stagnant traffic, others are flaunting their comfort. The tournament is designed to please a few at the top, while the majority bear the consequences of chaos, wasted fuel, and lost hours.

What makes this situation even more outrageous is the lavish lifestyle that state officials continue to maintain. Multi-million-dollar official aircraft trips for trivial purposes, ceremonial fanfare, state protocol dinners, and endless entourages have become normal. Every rupee spent on this extravagance is a rupee diverted from schools, hospitals, roads, and basic public services. Every rupee spent on indulgence adds to the frustration of a public already struggling to make ends meet. Ordinary citizens are living in a harsh reality of inflation and scarcity while the elites enjoy a gilded version of governance.

The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Ministers tell the public to reduce energy consumption while their own fleets of official vehicles idle on standby. They instruct people to cut back on meals, electricity, and travel while hosting dinners that would feed entire neighborhoods. They lecture about “public sacrifice” while living lives that resemble royalty more than public service. Until these leaders curb their opulence, any call for austerity is empty rhetoric. There is no moral authority in asking the people to sacrifice while enjoying indulgence at their expense.

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This isn’t a question of minor oversights. It is a systemic problem that reflects an entire culture of entitlement. Official real estate worth billions is a testament to this, often under the guise of “security” or “necessity.” But for the public, it is a symbol of disconnect—a glaring indicator that those at the top are insulated from the harsh realities of daily life. Pakistanis pay the price in skyrocketing fuel bills, congested roads, and missed hours of productivity while state officials remain untouched.

Consider the PSL traffic again: roads gridlocked for hours, fuel wasted, the city in chaos, and ordinary people losing hours of their lives in frustration. Meanwhile, the stadiums are filled with VIPs, corporate elites, and political favorites enjoying the matches in comfort. The rest of the population, stuck in endless lines of honking cars and scorching heat, watches helplessly as their time, fuel, and patience are drained. This is not just a traffic problem—it is a metaphor for the inequality baked into the system. Governance, in this sense, seems less about service and more about spectacle, with citizens treated as props in the background.

It is not only about PSL traffic. Every lavish protocol, every police escort, every state banquet, every multi-million-dollar “official” residence compounds the frustration. Ordinary Pakistanis struggle to fill their tanks and pay for electricity. They make difficult choices daily to survive, while those instructing them to practice austerity are living in abundance. This dissonance is not lost on the public, and resentment is growing.

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Austerity is only credible when it starts at the top. If ministers, bureaucrats, and officials want citizens to embrace restraint, they must lead by example. Cancel unnecessary state dinners. Scale back police escorts. Limit lavish trips. Reduce the gilded lifestyle of official residences. Show that austerity is a shared burden, not a burden forced solely on the public. Until these measures are taken, any call for sacrifice rings hollow. It is morally unacceptable to lecture people about hardship while indulging in excess. Lead, or stay silent.

The psychological impact is significant. Ordinary citizens watch and experience injustice daily—traffic jams, wasted fuel, and the contrast between their struggles and the lives of the elite are constant reminders of inequity. The PSL example highlights this vividly: a sporting event meant for entertainment has been transformed into a display of privilege at the expense of public inconvenience. The city suffers, fuel is wasted, hours are lost, and frustration mounts, all for a spectacle that benefits a few. This is not a minor oversight—it is symptomatic of a leadership that is disconnected from the people it governs.

It is not just about optics. There is a real economic impact. Each convoy, each banquet, each unnecessary official trip, each lavish expenditure takes away resources that could otherwise be used for public welfare. Roads that need repair remain broken. Hospitals that need equipment go underfunded. Schools that need renovation remain dilapidated. The extravagant lifestyle of officials, dressed up as protocol and prestige, comes at the direct cost of the nation’s citizens.

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The message is simple and urgent: Pakistan’s leaders cannot ask the public to tighten belts, save fuel, or embrace austerity while living lives of abundance. The public sees it, experiences it, and judges it daily. It is not just about money—it is about credibility, morality, and leadership. Unless those at the top are willing to share in sacrifice, they have no right to demand it from the public.

The PSL example is one of many. Ordinary citizens are burdened with inflated fuel prices, long commutes, and public inconvenience, while VIPs enjoy comfort and luxury. The contrast is stark and undeniable. Until the leadership acknowledges this imbalance and acts decisively, resentment will continue to grow.

The time for talk is over. The message is clear: curb your extravagance, lead by example, and then ask the public to follow. Otherwise, stop lecturing Pakistanis about austerity. Stop treating ordinary citizens as props while living in luxury. Show that sacrifice is for everyone—not just for those who have no choice. Lead by example, or shut up. The country cannot tolerate hypocrisy in governance any longer.

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Every rupee wasted on protocol, every unnecessary convoy, every banquet, every lavish trip is a rupee that could have gone to the people. Every hour lost in PSL traffic, every liter of fuel wasted, every frustrated commuter, is a reminder that leadership in Pakistan has disconnected itself from the very citizens it governs. Until this disconnect is addressed, any message of austerity will be met with skepticism, frustration, and, increasingly, anger.

The lesson is as old as governance itself: credibility is earned through action, not words. If you want citizens to save, show that you save too. If you want citizens to endure hardship, endure it yourself first. Only then will the public listen. Only then will austerity become a shared responsibility, not a lecture from those insulated by wealth and privilege. Until that day comes, stop lecturing, and start leading.

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By Mubasher Lucman.

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