A 100-degree afternoon in Dallas, a caravan of hearts connected to the homeland, and the tale of the event!
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
They say that when the memory of the homeland knocks intensely on the heart in a foreign land, that moment is not just a memory—it becomes a living experience. June 15, 2025, was one such 100-degree hot afternoon in Dallas, Texas, when the heat was conversing with the sun, the sun was raining fire, and the streets of Dallas were holding their breath under the scorching sun—yet the passion of the Pakistani community appeared far higher than that. These were people whose bodies were in Texas, but whose hearts were beating with Pakistan. For them, this 100-degree afternoon was merely a weather report, but the temperature of their passion was no less.
Because just a day earlier, Pakistan’s Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had arrived in Washington, and under the banner of “Stand With Pakistan,” the Pakistani community in Dallas-Fort Worth arranged welcoming activities—not merely as a formality, but as a living, dynamic, and nationally awakened narrative.
The first chapter of the event opened with a beautiful scene: a special cyber advertising truck, dedicated to welcoming the Field Marshal and paying tribute to Pakistan’s military achievements, roamed the city all day. Alongside it was a caravan—vehicles adorned with screens, songs, videos, and national flags. This caravan became a sight not only of surprise for citizens but also of reverence and love.
It was as if this digital caravan was a moving anthem, spreading the echo of Pakistan’s victory in every corner of the city. On the truck were welcoming messages for the Field Marshal, tributes to Pakistan’s recent war successes, and videos alongside Pakistan’s flags. This truck was not just a moving screen—it was a mobile manifestation of love for the homeland.
People stopped to watch, kept taking pictures, and in their hearts, silently saluted the homeland.
In the evening, when the flames of the sun had softened a bit, a grand dinner event was hosted by Amir Makhani, attended by distinguished guests including Pakistani Consul General Aftab Chaudhry, Texas State Representative Terry Meza, and dozens of prominent community leaders. What was said on this occasion were not mere statements—they were hidden interpretations of the times.
When Consul General Aftab Chaudhry spoke, his words did not just carry a diplomatic tone—they bore the pride of a soldier standing tall with honor for his general.
In his address, Aftab Chaudhry said: “Field Marshal Asim Munir demonstrated such professional leadership during the war that the entire nation’s head has been lifted with pride.”
The community said: “We want him to come to Texas as well and witness for himself the love that beats for him here.”
Aftab Chaudhry also spoke of the longstanding ties between the United States and Pakistan and invited overseas Pakistanis to invest.
When State Representative Terry Meza said that she feels very connected to the Pakistani, Kashmiri, and Sikh communities, it felt as if even on the soil of Texas, our pains were being heard. She further said, “I am proud to be part of this moment where Pakistan’s Field Marshal is being welcomed.”
She said, “I am close to the Pakistani, Kashmiri, and Sikh communities—and that is precisely why leaders like Modi and his followers do not like me, because I always stand with minorities.” Because all of these communities stand for justice, peace, and equality.
In this context, she also recalled a prejudiced incident in Dallas during India’s 75th Independence Day celebration, saying she was lied to and kept away from the event a day before. The documentary shown there, she said, was devoid of the voices of minorities.
Terry Meza called Modi and Trump “representatives of extremist ideology” and said that such leadership spreads hatred, whereas today the world desperately needs peace and diversity.
At the Dallas event, several community leaders including Syed Fayaz Hassan, Amir Makhani, Hafeez Khan, Ghazala Habib, Sohail Pirzada, and Iftikhar Darpan also shared their thoughts.
There, emotions spoke. The speakers called the Field Marshal “the protector of the nation,” saying Asim Munir won a war without noise—a war the world watched in astonishment.
They said he not only stopped the enemy but also paved the way for peace in the region.
At the end of the event, the slogans that echoed were not just from mouths, but from hearts as well:
“Long live Pakistan!” “Long live Field Marshal Asim Munir!”
These slogans were expressions of the community’s emotions—but beyond that, this day, this sunlight, this caravan, might someday become a line in the pages of history.
But we, who were witnesses to this moment, know that this line was written in golden ink. It was a day when love, loyalty, and the hearts of the diaspora collectively bowed in honor of the homeland.
This welcome, these lights, these slogans, all bear witness that a homeland is not just a geography, it is another name for the heart.
And as the community members said: “Wherever we may be, the homeland is in our hearts. And that commander who keeps it safe he is our pride and the crown of our heads.
