President Asif Ali Zardari has approved conferring national awards upon 104 Pakistanis and foreigners in recognition of their services for Pakistan on the occasion of Independence Day, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.
The awards will be handed over at a special award distribution ceremony to be held on March 23, 2025.
The president accorded approval to award Nishan-i-Pakistan to PPP founder and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed in recognition of his outstanding performance in the field of public service.
He also approved awarding Hilal-i-Imtiaz to Arshad Nadeem and Sitara-i-Imtiaz to Murad Sadpara in the field of sports.
Approval of posthumous award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz to late Nasir Kazmi in the field of literature.
In recognition of his services to Pakistan, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman Al Saud will also receive Hilal-i-Pakistan.
In the field of science and technology, Hilal-i-Imtiaz was given to Aamir Hafeez Ibrahim, Sitara-i-Imtiaz to Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali and Sardar Muhammad Aftab Ahmad Khan Wattoo, and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz to Dr Sara Qureshi, Dr Rafiuddin and Prof Dr Usman Qamar.
In the field of education, Hilal-i-Imtiaz was announced for Sadia Rashid, Sitara-i-Imtiaz for Zia-ul-Haq, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin and Syed Azhar Hussain Abidi and Barkat Shah, Abdur Rashid Kakar and Aniqa Bano will be decorated with Pride of Performance award.
In the field of medicine, Professor Dr Shehryar and Dr Zaryab Setna will receive Hilal-i-Imtiaz and Dr Akifullah Khan, Dr Syed Abid Mehdi Kazmi and Ikramullah Khan will get Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.
In the field of arts, Colin David will be given Sitara-i-Imtiaz while Arshad Aziz Malik, Bakhtiar Ahmed and Barrister Zafarullah will receive Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.
Fareeha Pervez, Hamid Rana, Sheeba Arshad and Naveed Ahmed Bhatti will be honoured with Pride of Performance award.
In the field of literature, Javed Jabbar will be given Hilal-i-Imtiaz while Salman Awan, Zafar Waqar Taj and Muneeza Shamsi will be awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
Syed Jawad Hussain Jafari will be honoured with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz while Anbreen Haseeb will be given Presidential Pride of Performance award.
In the field of sports, Maqsood Ahmed, Imad Shakeel Butt, Rehman Ishtiaq and Mir Nadir Khan Magsi were awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz while Amir Ashfaq will receive Pride of Performance award.
Mian Aziz Ahmed, Haneed Lakhani, Sana Hashwani and Safinaz Munir will be given Sitara-i-Imtiaz while Khawaja Anwar Majeed and Hussain Dawood will be awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz in the field of social services.
Among taxpayers and exporters, Syed Imran Ali Shah, Nazimuddin Feroze, Imtiaz Hussain, Adnan Niaz, Zahid Ahmed Gharib and Syed Asad Hussain Zaidi will be awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
Sitara-i-Shujaat is given to Deputy Commissioner Panjgur Zakir Hussain Baloch while Captain (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha, Dr Syed Tauqeer Hussain Shah and Umar Farooq will be awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz.
Dr Rubaba Khan Buledi, Dr Hamid Atiq Sarwar, Waqasuddin Syed, Jameel Ahmed, Ayaz Khan, Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir and Irfan Nawaz Memon will be conferred with Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
Syed Shakeel Shah, Ashhad Jawad, Rabab Sikandar, Muhammad Yusuf Khan, Cardinal Joseph Coutts, Rehan Mehtab Chawla, Rear Admiral Tanveer and Aamir Mehmood Lakhani will be awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.
In recognition of bravery, Sub-Inspector Taimur Shehzad Shaheed, Sepoy Muhammad Asif Shaheed, SP Muhammad Ejaz Khan Shaheed, DSP Sardar Hussain Shaheed, DSP Allama Iqbal Shaheed, LHC Muhammad Farooq Shaheed, Additional SHO Adnan Afridi Shaheed, Allah Kheu Nandwani, Constable Jahanzeb and Constable Irshad Ali Shaheed will be awarded Hilal-i-Shujaat posthumously.
Malik Sabz Ali Shaheed and Captain Retired Hamza Anjum will also be honored with Sitara-i- Shujaat.
Tamgha-i-Shujaat was approved for Malik Mehmood Jan Shaheed, Saeed Khan, Samiullah Khan Shaheed, Sahib Khan and Dr Shafi Muhammad Bizenjo.
Approval of giving Hilal Pakistan to Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman Al Saud
Foo Chi Hung and Mohammad Saif Al Suwaidi will be awarded Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam.
Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasbi and Engineer Abdullah Al-Sawaha will be awarded Sitar-i-Pakistan.
Approval of awarding Sitara-i-Quaid-e-Azam to Heydar Gurbanov and Dr Christine Schmutzer.
Tamgha-i-Pakistan will be awarded to Lukas Voorl, Dr Oror Didier, Prof Valeria Fiorani Pia Santini and Augustino da Polenza.
Chang Bao Chung and Shin Min Liu will be awarded Quaid-e-Azam medal.
The President also approved awarding of Tamgha-i-Khidmat to Diana MacArthur.
Reporter Awais Kiyani