Welcome, Field Marshal. But the Community Asks: Where Are We?
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Texas: It is said that when history is written, some lines are penned in golden ink, and others with the tears of the eyes.
The visit of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to the United States is a historic moment for the Pakistani community but for some, this moment has become more of a message of exclusion than celebration.
Reliable sources reveal that on Monday, June 16, a session is scheduled at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington where the Field Marshal will meet respected members of the Pakistani-American community. The arrangements for this meeting have been entrusted to Overseas Commission Chairman Qamar Raza.
Yet, where this meeting could have been a symbol of national pride, some bitter truths have turned it into a mirror reflecting division.
Qamar Raza, without consultation or merit, appointed a few preferred women from across the U.S. as “Field Marshals” of their respective regions.
The lists these women have prepared reflect not patriotism as the measure of loyalty, but personal ties and family friendships.
Individuals from cities including Dallas who were neither part of the Cyber Truck campaign, nor seen in any welcoming event have now been added to the list of “selected” participants to meet the Field Marshal at the Pakistani Embassy.
This is the moment when those who waved the Pakistani flag in the streets, those who powered the cyber truck wheels with passion, and became part of the caravan have now been pushed into the background.
They ask: Has the certificate of patriotism now begun to emerge from the pockets of personal connections?
Have the real foot soldiers of this movement been erased from the frame?
Community leaders have expressed their deep concern to Jago Times.
They claim this program was deliberately kept hidden from them, and that those assigned responsibilities have shown a complete disregard for the principles of transparency.
A fact both curious and regrettable is that Qamar Raza chose only women across the United States to compile these lists. As if patriotic men living in America are no longer even worthy of consultation.
There are whispers, echoes, and in some places, words of anger—because this is not just a meeting; it is an honor, an opportunity.
An opportunity taken away from those who served quietly, who never asked for credit, who never stood in the spotlight.
Now that the Field Marshal has set foot on American soil. Will he be able to see the faces who remained behind the curtain?
Will he hear the echoes of those voices that longed, from the depths of their hearts, for just a moment of nearness?
Time may remain silent. But emotions are loud. This is not just a news report. This is the pulse of a community that wished to welcome him. But was erased from the very ranks of those who were to say: “Welcome.”
