Political, military elite witness rare display of mutual respect

The political and military elite witnessed a rare display of mutual respect and understanding as President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Field Marshal Syed Asid Munir stood side by side in a show of unity at the dinner hosted by the army chief, said a report.

- Tariq Butt

The high-profile dinner celebrated Pakistan's military victory over India during the recently concluded Operation Bunyan-um Marsoos.

In a gesture that drew admiration from all present, the Field Marshal—although not wearing a cap, as it was not required — saluted both the President and the Prime Minister upon their arrival and again at their departure, which was later shown on all TV channels. The salutes were seen as symbolic of respect and institutional harmony.

The event brought together distinguished members of the top leadership—with senior political figures, general officers from the three armed services, and heads of constitutional institutions. Such a broad-based civil-military assembly is rare and underscored the significance of the occasion.

"This was also a rare moment for the premier as his political vision of institutional harmony stood realised and his stance vindicated," commented one of the participants.