Pakistan Army Chief Marshal Asim Munir’s US visit marred by PTI-led protests

WASHINGTON: Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's high-stakes official visit to the United States has been overshadowed by widespread protests led by members of the Pakistani diaspora and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

While Munir's visit is being projected as a step towards strengthening military and strategic ties with Washington, the backlash from overseas Pakistanis turned his stay at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel in Washington into a scene of charged demonstrations.

Protesters chanted slogans accusing Munir of human rights violations, branding him as "Pakistanio ke qatil" and "Islamabad ke qatil" -- meaning "killer of Pakistanis" and "killer of Islamabad," respectively.

As official convoys arrived at the hotel, protesters erupted in loud chants. A video widely circulated on social media showed one protester yelling, "Geedad, geedad, geedad (jackal, jackal, jackal)" a derogatory term used to suggest cowardice and deceit.

The clip quickly went viral and was described by analysts as a public embarrassment for the Pakistani military establishment.

Pakistani-Americans demonstrating outside the Four Seasons hotel stated that their goal was to remind General Asim Munir of the crimes he is allegedly responsible for against the people of Pakistan.

In a video shared by PTI USA, Imran Khan's sister, Noreen Khan Niazi, said, "The protest in America was carried out by patriotic Pakistanis -- the same people who keep Pakistan's economy alive through remittances. No one paid them. No one forced them. They stood up by their own free will -- for justice, for Imran Khan, and for Pakistan."

PTI USA further stated in an X post, "Overseas Pakistanis erupt in chants against Asim Munir during his US visit. Massive protest held -- digital vans, posters, and powerful slogans shook the streets."

Nazia Imtiaz Hussain, Executive Director of The Alliance Organisation, also voiced her dissent online: "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."

Despite the uproar, Munir is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. (local time) in the White House's Cabinet Room, according to the President's official schedule. The meeting will be a working lunch and comes days after the White House clarified that Munir was not invited to the US Army's 250th-anniversary celebrations on June 14, contradicting earlier claims from Pakistani sources. (IANS)

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