“I Don’t Think Anyone Can Love the Field Marshal More Than Shehbaz Sharif,” Says Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: Journalist and political analyst Umar Cheema has criticized Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s style of governance and his public expressions of admiration for the military leadership, saying that the prime minister appears to have lost the sense of dignity and stature associated with his office.
Speaking during a podcast, Cheema commented on Shehbaz Sharif’s relationship with the country’s establishment and military leadership. In a satirical and critical tone, he remarked that no one else in government could have acted in the manner the prime minister has.
“I don’t think anyone can love the Field Marshal more than Shehbaz Sharif or express that affection so openly,” Cheema said. “Even if you were to appoint a retired general as prime minister, he would not display such open admiration in the way Shehbaz Sharif does.”
He further argued that the prime minister no longer appears to appreciate the significance and prestige of his constitutional office. According to Cheema, Shehbaz Sharif has ceased to recognize the dignity that should accompany the position of a democratically elected prime minister, which, in his view, explains his willingness to accept situations that other political leaders might not.
میرا نہیں خیال کے شہباز شریف سے زیادہ کوئی فیلڈ مارشل سے " پیار " کر سکتا ہے شہباز شریف کو اپنے عہدے کا اپنی حیثیت کا احساس ہی نہیں ہے وہ اس بات کو فیل ہی نہیں کرتے شہباز شریف کے اندر وہ چیز ( غیرت نام کی ) یا وہ محسوس کرنیوالی حس ہی نہیں ہے ! عمر چیمہ ۔۔ pic.twitter.com/VLYYtkwtRo
— AMJAD KHAN (@iAmjadKhann) July 24, 2026
Referring to meetings involving former U.S. President Donald Trump, Cheema questioned whether any other prime minister would have reacted similarly under comparable circumstances. He said that when the Field Marshal attended a luncheon hosted by Donald Trump, it was difficult to imagine another prime minister accepting such a situation without objection.
“It is simply not possible that another prime minister would have accepted it in the same manner,” he said, adding that Shehbaz Sharif lacks the sensibility to perceive such matters from the perspective of institutional dignity and political stature.
Cheema maintained that his criticism was directed at what he perceives as the prime minister’s approach to leadership and the constitutional responsibilities attached to his office.
