ISLAMABAD: President of Maldives Mohamed Waheed Hassan on Thursday conferred 'Nishaan Muleege Sharafge Izzaiy', one of the highest ranking honours, on Pakistan Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila in recognition of his valuable assistance in the aftermath of 2004 tsunami.
Speaking at a function, the Maldives President noted that at the time of the worst ever natural disaster in the recent history of his country, Admiral Sandila proved above and beyond the call of duty to be a source of exemplary service and dedication which was symbolic of the long standing fraternal relation between Maldives and Pakistan.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila thanked the government and the people of Maldives for awarding him the prestigious award.
He said that he considered the conferment of award as a great honour and pride for himself, the Pakistani Navy and his country.
He also commended the efforts of the government, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the people of Maldives for the prompt action taken during the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, says a press statement received here from Pakistan High Commission Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Nishaan Muleege Sharafge Izzaiy (Order of Distinguished Rule of Muleege) was created in honour of Al-Sultan Mohamed Shamsuddeen and is one of the high ranking honours conferred by the State of Maldives.
At the time of the tsunami, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila was the Mission Commander of the two Pakistan Naval Ships, P.N.S Tariq and P.N.S Nasr, which were on a goodwill visit to Maldives.
The Pakistan Navy ships went into prompt action as the initial responders to a critical situation and provided much needed support and assistance.
The medal was conferred upon Admiral Sandila in recognition of his dedicated efforts to provide vital humanitarian assistance in conducting search and rescue operations, evacuating of citizens and tourists from afflicted islands, conducting the initial damage assessment, and providing critical food and relief supplies to devastated islands in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami that hit the Maldives on December 26, 2004.
The Chief of Naval Staff is also scheduled to meet Minister of Defence and National Security Colonel (Rtd) Mohamed Nazim during his two-day official visit.
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