Mandi Bahauddin, Pakistan: June 15, 2012. (Sher Gondal) Ex-Servicemen of Mandi Bahauddin have congratulated Lt Gen Faiz Ali Chishti on his unopposed election as President Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS). In a meeting held at Mong, an historical village on right bank of River Jhelum and about three miles North from here, Subedar Major Bashir president PESS Tehsil Mandi Bahauddin said that Chishti was the only retired General who had been raising voice of retired soldiers and fighting for their rights. Subedar Muhammad Din president PESS Malikwal praised Chishti efforts to unite ex-servicemen throughout the country adding that running of PESS was his great achievement. Havildar Sher Muhammad Tarrar president PESS Phalia Tehsil said that ex-servicemen hope that under leadership of Chishti PESS will emerge as great force to resolve welfare problems of military retirees. Col Sadique and Major Zafar Warriach expressed their pleasure over election of Chishti as new PESS president and hoped that he would save PESS from those handful retired Generals and other political elements who had been trying to weaken PESS by raising different groups in the name of ex-servicemen. They said ex-servicemen fully knew designs of these elements and would foil their attempts to harm PESS. At the end the meeting resolved that welfare facilities for ex-servicemen are concentrated at major cities like Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi etcetera. Rural areas where majority of soldiers and ex-soldiers reside with their families are ignored. Army Welfare Trust and Fauji Foundation were established to rehabilitate and promote welfare of retired and serving soldiers but now they were used to give highly paid jobs to retired general and their relatives on intercession. The resolution demanded scattering welfare facilities for retired soldiers in all districts and making recruitment in welfare organizations on merit.