President Asif Ali Zardari has decorated as many as 67 recipients of National Awards (Civil) including five foreign nationals. The National Awards investiture ceremony was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on March 23. Every year, the President gives Pakistan's highest national civil awards in a ceremony on the occasion of Pakistan Day.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, federal ministers, chiefs of armed forces, high ranking civil and military officers, diplomats and prominent personalities from all walks of life attended the ceremony. The President had approved 189 Pakistan Civil Awards on August 14, 2011, including 9, which were approved as special cases after August 14, 2011.
The Governor Punjab on behalf of the President decorated 49 recipients of National Awards (Civil), at the Investiture Ceremony held at the Governor House Punjab, Lahore. As many as 27 recipients of National Awards (Civil) were decorated by Governor Sindh, on behalf of the President, at the Investiture Ceremony held the Governor House Sindh, Karachi.
Similarly as many as 15 recipients of National Awards (Civil) were decorated by Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on behalf of the President, at the Investiture Ceremony held at the Governor House KP, Peshawar. Six recipients of National Awards (Civil) were decorated by Governor Balochistan, on behalf of the President, at the Investiture Ceremony held at the Governor House Balochistan, Quetta.
One recipient of National Awards (Civil) was also decorated by Governor Gilgit-Baltistan, on behalf of the President, at the Investiture Ceremony held at the Governor House Gilgit-Baltistan, Gilgit. Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee also decorated 22 recipients of National Awards (Civil), on behalf of the President, at the Investiture Ceremony held later at Joint Chiefs of Staff Headquarters (JCSHQs).
Eight foreign nationals including a Pakistani expatriate were decorated, on behalf of the President, by the heads of Pakistan Missions located in the countries of respected recipients of awards on March 23, or later. At an Investiture Ceremony, the President conferred Pakistan's highest national civil award 'Nishan-e-Imtiaz' on late Begum Nusrat Bhutto. The President conferred the award on Begum Nusrat Bhutto in recognition of her meritorious services in the field of public service. Sanam Bhutto, daughter of Begum Nusrat Bhutto, received the award from the President.
The President conferred Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, late Salman Taseer and Secretary General to the President M Salman Faruqui. The President also conferred military awards on the officers and men of Pakistan Armed Forces.
The President awarded Sitara-e-Jurrat to Major Mujahid Ali (Shaheed), Azad Kashmir Regiment. The officers and men, who have been conferred with Sitara-e-Basalat by the President are: Major General Muhammad Nawaz (Shaheed), Frontier Force Regiment; Major Zia Ul Haque (Shaheed), Azad Kashmir Regiment; Captain Abdul Qadir Khan (Shaheed), Air Defence; Captain Abid Naveed (Shaheed), Azad Kashmir Regiment; Captain Ali Aslam Ranjha, Armoured Corps; Subedar Munawar Hussain (Shaheed), Azad Kashmir Regiment; Lance Naik Abdul Qadeer (Shaheed), Special Services Group; Sepoy Azhar Hussain (Shaheed), Frontier Force Regiment; Squadron Leader Chaudhry M Shabbir Ishtiaq (Late), PAF, Squadron Leader Muhammad Hussain (Late), PAF, Squadron Leader Masood Hussain (Late).
In a message on the occasion of Pakistan Day, President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan Day is an occasion for expressing the resolve that no dictator will be allowed to usurp the basic rights of the people or trample their democratic aspirations. The President said, "On this day, let us resolve that we will not permit any dictator to usurp the basic fundamental rights of our people, nor allow them to trample on our democratic aspirations." "This requires that we must work in the spirit of tolerance, mutual accommodation and respect for dissent," he said. The list of awardees that were decorated at Aiwan-e-Sadr is as under:
I. NISHAN-I-IMTIAZ: 1. Late Begum Nusrat Bhutto (Public Service), 2. Late Salmaan Taseer (Public Service), 3. Farooq Hamid Naek (Public Service), 4. Dr Fehmida Mirza (Public Service), 5. Senator Dr A Rehman Malik (Public Service), and 6. M Salman Faruqui (Public Service).
II. HILAL-I-PAKISTAN: 7. Abdul Aziz Al-Ghadeer (Services to Pakistan)
III. HILAL-I-IMTIAZ: 8. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (Female film-maker), 9. Farzana Raja (Public Service), 10. Zamurrad Khan (Public Service), 11. Farhatullah Babar (Public Service), 12. Sultan Ali Lakhani (Public Service), 13. Mian Amer Mahmood (Public Service), 14. Nazir Naji (Journalism), 15. Professor Mohammad Waris Mir late (Journalism), 16. Late Professor Dr Syed Wadal Shah (Science & Education), and 17. Nargis Sethi (Public Service).
IV. SITARA-I-PAKISTAN: 18. Adnan Bin Mohammad Amin Katib (Services to Pakistan), and 19. Dr Mohammad Farqad Alamgir (Services to Pakistan/Medicine).
V. SITARA-I-SHUJA'AT: 20. Abdul Aziz Bullo Shaheed (Gallantry)
VI. SITARA-I-IMTIAZ: 21. Mrs Nasara Wazir Ali (Public Service), 22. Sikandar Ahmed Rai (Public Service), 23. Ghulam Murtaza Solangi (Public Service), 24. Sohail Ahmed Rana - Art (Music Director), 25. Hanif Khalid - Literature (Journalism), 26. Zahid Malik (Journalism), 27. Hafiz Tahir Khalil (Journalism), 28. Late Dr Zaheer Ahmed (Public Service), 29. Burhan Kayaturk (Services to Pakistan), 30. Gohar Ejaz (Public Service), and 31. Jamil Ahmed Khan (Public Service).
VII. PRESIDENT'S AWARD FOR PRIDE OF PERFORMANCE: 32. Irtaza Rubab (Meera) - Art(Film Actress), 33. Mohammad Naumaan Ijaz- Art (Drama Actor), 34. Sheikh Jawed Iqbal (Jawed Sheikh) - Art (Film Actor/Director), 35. Muhammad Azmat Shigeyuki Ataka (Arts & Literature), and 36. W A Tai Sports (Martial Art/ Yoga)
VIII. TAMGHA-I-SHUJA'AT: 37. Jamal-ud-Din Shaheed (Gallantry), 38. Abdul Kabir Khan Shaheed (Gallantry), 39. Abdul Rashid Khan (Gallantry), 40. Said Ahmad Khan (Gallantry), 41. Abdullah Jan Tareen Shaheed (Gallantry), 42. Asif Rehman Khan (Khurram Khan) - (Gallantry), 43. Irshad Ali Raza (Gallantry), 44. Gulfat Hussain Shaheed (Gallantry), 45. Shazia Gul late (Gallantry), 46. Shah Iran Shaheed (Gallantry), 47. Ighdali San (Gallantry), 48. Mohammad Hussain Shaheed (Gallantry), 49. Mohammad Tariq (Gallantry), 50. Major Retd Dawar Bin Zahoor (Gallantry), 51. Lieutenant PN Retd Muhammad Athar Iqbal (Gallantry), 52. Kachkol Khan Shaheed (Gallantry), 53. Haji Saleem Khan Shaheed (Gallantry), 54. Sadiq Amin Shaheed (Gallantry), 55. Attaullah Shaheed (Gallantry), 56. Faridullah Shaheed (Gallantry), 57. Shamshad Begum Shaheed (Gallantry), 58. Wesal Khan Shaheed (Gallantry), 59. Malik Manasib Khan Shaheed (Gallantry), 60. Malik Fazal Manan Shaheed (Gallantry), and 61. Muhammad Naveed Younus Shaheed (Gallantry).
IX. TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ: 62. Syed Javaid Hasnain Kazmi - Art (Cameraman), 63. Abdul Jabbar Bhutto Photography - Fine Arts, 64. Lieutenant Retd Maqsood Ahmed (Public Service), 65. Ishtiaq Baig (Public Service), 66. Malik Muhammad Asif (Services to Pakistan), and 67. Raihan Ali Merchant (Public Service).