Army Chief's die-hard admirer sketches his portrait, hopes to meet him

A passionate admirer of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir created a detailed portrait of him as a tribute, claiming it took him at least 90 days to complete with every detail drawn while in a state of wudu (ablution).

Speaking to a private news channel, Farooq Shami expressed his admiration for the Army Chief, explaining that he spent three consecutive months working on the portrait, driven by his desire to meet him.

General Munir has been serving as the 11th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan since November 2022.

“I used to give at least 20 to 25 minutes to the portrait after Namaz-e Isha, during this time, I remained in the state of wudu,” he said.

Shami also explained the reason for wudu before sketching, stating, “he (Army Chief) is ‘Syed’ this is why I do wuzu before starting the sketch. "

The artist stated that when he would meet General Asim Munir he would personally present this portrait to him.   

Shami said he was a professional artist, and has made portraits of several people and gifted them, but he respects COAS more than others.

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He said he has tried multiple times to meet the Army Chief but has not yet succeeded.

“A year ago, I received a call assuring me that a meeting would be arranged, but it hasn’t materialised so far.”  

“This [art] is an inherited skill, my father was also involved in it,” he said, 

Sharing his experience of drawing General Asim Munir's portrait, Shamis said that after completing the artwork he felt emotiona.

"This is the best portrait I have ever created,” he told the local media.

Shami also shared the backlash he received during the process. “When I was working on it, people came to me, hurled abuse, and discouraged me. They said I would never get the chance to meet the Army Chief.”   

Farooq Shami also composed a song for General Asim Munir, believing that one day he will be able to express all his affection and admiration in person.