Washington, DC [US], June 17 (ANI): Overseas Pakistanis staged a protest against Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his official visit to the United States, raising slogans such as “Pakistanio ke Qatil” and “Islamabad ke Qatil” while he was welcomed at an event. Videos of the protest, held outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC, have gone viral on social media.
Nazia Imtiaz Hussain, identified as the Executive Director of The Alliance Organisation, was among those participating in the demonstration. Sharing a video on X (formerly Twitter), she condemned the Pakistani military leadership and criticized individuals attending the event in support of General Munir. “We’re here to protest the criminal dictator of Pakistan. Shame on every bootlicker who showed up in support of fascism—you didn’t just betray democracy, you spit on the suffering of millions,” she wrote.
PTI USA also amplified the protest by re-sharing videos that depicted demonstrators holding signs and chanting against Munir. One protest screen prominently displayed his photograph alongside phrases such as “Mass Murderer Asim Munir,” “Democracy dies when guns speak,” and “Asim Munir, your time is up. Pakistan will rise.”
Protesters accused Munir of human rights abuses and alleged suppression of democracy in Pakistan. The demonstration was marked by passionate slogans and banners denouncing his role in recent political crackdowns.
The controversy surrounding General Munir has intensified in recent months, especially after the Pakistani federal cabinet in May approved his promotion to Field Marshal—the nation’s highest military rank—despite what critics describe as military and strategic failures, particularly during confrontations with India.
According to a report by Dawn, the government justified Munir’s elevation by citing his leadership during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and the confrontation with India, referred to officially as Marka-i-Haq. Despite mounting criticism and questions about the strategic outcomes of those events, the government labeled them a “historic victory.”
General Asim Munir now becomes only the second army officer in Pakistan’s history to be promoted to Field Marshal. The first was General Ayub Khan, who self-appointed himself to the role following his 1958 military coup and later ruled Pakistan as president until 1969.
As discontent simmers among segments of the Pakistani diaspora, especially in the United States, such protests signal a growing backlash against Pakistan’s military establishment and its influence over civilian governance. (ANI)
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