New Delhi: A viral video of a civil service mock interview has brought Pakistanis together. It shows an interviewee being asked to address the Punjab CM as “Madam Maryam Nawaz”, prompting people to condemn the “visceral sycophancy” prevalent in the Pakistani bureaucracy.
Pakistan’s Federal Public Service Commission conducts the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam, an elite competitive test used to recruit top-tier civil servants into federal government positions. Around 18,139 candidates registered for the CSS examination in Pakistan in 2025, with 16,342 appearing for the CSS 2026 written test, according to local reports.
The video doing the rounds shows a man in suit asking the examinee if she knows who the CM of Punjab is. She answers in the affirmative and goes on to name Maryam Nawaz. He then rolls his eyes and asks, “Is she a class fellow of yours?” before telling the confused examinee, “Madam Maryam Nawaz.”
Pakistanis are flabbergasted. “The British left in 1947, yet candidates are reprimanded for naming a CM without titles. Expecting feudal deference to public servants is peak colonial mindset—we changed masters, but the system of enforced subservience remains,” X user Usama Swati wrote.
“It’s raining cats and madam mrym nawaz in my city,” another jokingly said.
Others decided to treat it as it is — a joke of an interview.
“Only madam ??? Why not Maryam Nawaz of the House Sharifs, the Last of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Punjab, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Illiterate Lahore, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons,” X user Biya Ali wrote.
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‘Imaginary offence’
There were more suggestions on names that were perhaps better suited.
“The stupid, incompetent, barely-scraping-a-pass English Literature graduate who was shamelessly shoved into power by pure nepotism: Maryam Nawaz. Good enough?” another commented read.
Some social media users could not get over the eyes of the interviewer and the intense way he looked at the aspirant. “This man is a little khiska huwa irl too lol,” a user said. Another added, “The absolute seethe in the eyes of this bureaucratic slave is insane”.
Someone else referred to him as a “maggot” and asked “who raised him from the dead?”.
Others soon began calling him out. “I know this person. He is not a bureaucrat. His name is Osman Khan. He is teacher/ so called mentor in ‘Jahangir World Times’ private coaching academy Lahore. In the name of CSS prep and Mock interviews they milk a lot of money from CSS aspirants,” Pakistani user Dr Aamir Rafiq said on X.
“These civil serpents have confused political servitude with religious devotion. The way this idiot reacted, you’d think the girl had committed blasphemy rather than whatever imaginary offence he’s manufactured. Give them time & they’ll be demanding sajda to army’s puppet maryam,” an angry user commented.
Another simply called it: “Slowburn North Korea core”.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)