A proposal to elevate the present Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to the rank of field marshal reached Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday.A lawyer has sought the high court’s help to elevate Gen Raheel to the rank of field marshal in the greater national interest by taking into consideration his “exemplary services and sacrifices rendered for the nation.”In the appeal, Sardar Adnan Saleem, through his counsel Raja Saimul Haq Satti, said that such an elevation is an emergent need in the present circumstances.He has made the federation through the cabinet division secretary, the prime minister through the secretary of the PM Secretariat and defence ministry secretary respondents in the petition.The counsel said that the army chief should be promoted to the rank of field marshal for rendering services to protect national security and safeguarding the frontiers of Pakistan in accordance with the National Action Plan (NAP) and for successful completion of Zarb-e-Azab in an effective and efficient manner.While calling him a ‘trailblazer’, Satti said that Gen Raheel provided visionary leadership to the people as well as the security forces.“The exemplary, outstanding and professional performance during peace and war time with total dedication and devotion by attaining the highest standards and mastery in battlefield,” he said adding that the COAS needs national appreciation, award and recognition.In the petition, Satti said that the COAS should be elevated to the highest level of military hierarchy for rendering his services for the nation and humanity at a larger scale in an extraordinary, exemplary and selfless manner.He has urged the court to direct the respondents to elevate Gen Raheel to the rank of field marshal for leading from the front on different fronts.Published in The Express Tribune, October 16, 2016.