We have strange notions of accountability in Pakistan. We are not satisfied with audit reports or bureaucratic mechanisms that give holistic accounts of performance. No, we enjoy a good berating. The more humiliating the better. Extra points if it is done in front of television cameras and is broadcast all over the country. Because as a nation, we have convinced ourselves that this is the sole route through which we can get people to get things done in Pakistan. So, we applaud when a chief minister visits a government hospital and fires a doctor on the spot; we cheer when the highest judicial officer in the country castigates a sessions judge over a minor transgression, never stopping to ask ourselves what the cost of doing so might be.
This methodology of accountability is perhaps also why some people believe that democracy is not suited for Pakistan. Their argument is that there is something innate in our people which causes them to only be honest, just, efficient — take your pick — if there is some sort of autocrat swinging a sword over their heads. However, such notions are wrong and shortsighted.
Take him away from the media glare and explain his mistake to him; highlight his mistake — in private —
This was the right thing. But who should ensure it. This is the real litmus test for real leaders.