After US senator’s pro-COAS statement, thousands of banners displayed in cities

ISLAMABAD:  After the Chairman US Senate’s Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain, on Friday said that he is deeply impressed by Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif’s leadership skills and hopes that the general continues to lead Pakistan, thousands of banners were displayed in several cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and Hyderabad seeking the army chief’s intervention.

A full-fledged campaign was also launched on the social media giving the impression that martial law is about to be imposed. On top of political parties being defamed on the social media is PML-N, followed by PPP, MQM, JUI, PkMAP and ANP. Leaders including Nawaz, Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rahman are also on the hit list of Facebook intellectuals.

The person, who spent tens of millions of rupees on the posters calling General Raheel Sharif to “take over” as he displayed such posters all over Pakistan, kept on waiting for a response from government, opposition and Pakistan army but he was not given any importance, for which he did all this. 

Ali Hashmi, the man who claims to be behind the banner campaign making undemocratic demand from Pakistan Army which not only damages the repute of COAS General Raheel Sharif but also of army as an institution, while talking to The News said that he wanted “those who are actually running the country to come forward and take over the country for real”. “Who is running the foreign policy of the country?” said Ali Hashmi adding: “Whether its foreign policy or natural calamity, it’s the army that comes forward”. Though Ali Hashmi claimed to be independent but tongues are wagging how a single person could hang tens of thousands of banners across Pakistan in just one night without any help from those who could do it. 

Hashmi said that he has not received any response from the government or opposition or Pakistan Army regarding his undemocratic demand, which tantamount to high treason. 

It is not the first time that Ali Hashmi has done this as just a few months ago when General Raheel Sharif had announced that he will not take any extension and would retire in November this year, he for the first time came out with his banner campaign demanding from General Raheel not to talk of retirement. Regarding his earlier campaign Hashmi said that it was too early for COAS to announce his retirement and that he did not want him to retire. 

This time, Mr Hashmi has come forward with a demand which he in fact intended to make in his first banner campaign but could not make, i.e. asking General Raheel to impose Martial Law in the country. “General Raheel should impose martial law in the country and make a government of technocrats and head it himself”, Ali Hashmi said while explaining his recent banner campaign. 

Though Mr Hashmi was not given any importance by not responding to his banner campaign through which he managed to erect tens of thousands of banners across Pakistan in one night but his campaign is clearly denting the credibility of COAS as making undemocratic demand from an army chief who has taken on terrorists head-on and has managed to bag many successes in Pakistan’s fight against terror. When the army chief himself has announced to retire on due date, how come a person hang tens of thousands of banners across the country making such a demand which only maligns Pakistan army’s image in the eyes of general public. Demand of a single person does not matter but if posters are erected across the country asking COAS to impose Martial Law means the person is trying to tarnish the image of General Raheel Sharif and Pakistan army which has been earned hard through professionalism and dedication. If the likes of Ali Hashmi are not given shut-up call by Pakistan army, government and opposition, such people will continue to tarnish the image of Pakistan Army and COAS by making undemocratic demands though banner campaigns.