The Mayor of High Wycombe has been forced to apologise after being accused of wearing his chains at political events on an overseas visit to his birthplace.

In a video circulating on social media, cllr Zia Ahmed openly talks about politics and his career while wearing his mayoral chains in the city of Mirpur, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, in a move condemned by past mayors who said who said he had brought the mayoralty “into disrepute”.

He has been heavily criticised by Nigel Vickery, Frances Alexander and Trevor Snaith, as well as Wycombe District Council charter trustees cllr Sebert Graham, cllr Khalil Ahmed and cllr Mohammed Hanif, all of who are former High Wycombe mayors.

In a statement, they said: “We are concerned that cllr Zia Ahmed, Mayor of High Wycombe, used his personal visit to Pakistan in a political manner.

“He wore the chain of office at political events there…

“The mayor appeared to have handed out to political figures certificates carrying the mayoral logo. He also did this on his return.

“He has also used the mayor’s parlour for political meetings. All of this is contrary to the standards expected by the Mayor of High Wycombe.

“These events we understand were not sanctioned by the Charter Trustees, nor the town clerk nor were they official mayoral engagements.

“[He has] actively been using [his] position for political gain and self-promotion in violation of the standards expected from the Mayor of High Wycombe.”

When contacted for comment, cllr Ahmed insisted he was “just following in the footsteps of some past mayors” and he did not have any further statement to make.

He came under pressure to release a public statement after attempting to speak about the matter in a closed meeting, with members saying since the speech was about his “behaviour in public”, any statement about the matter “should be equally in public”.

He attempted to make his statement only after the press and public were excluded from a meeting of the charter trustees this week, but was forced by councillors to do it on a public platform.

At the time, he said: “I tried to follow the footsteps of past mayors.

“If I let anybody down I just want to say please forgive me – that was my personal [thing] – nothing to do with the mayor. Thank you very much.”

The past mayors called for a “tightening up of the process”, adding: “The Mayor of High Wycombe, wearing the chain of office, has always participated in overseas visits, even to places that do not have formal links with the town of High Wycombe, but as part of the official calendar.”

Trevor Snaith said: “The mayor’s chains should only be worn to official civic events. There needs to be a tightening up of this moving forward.”