ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari conferred Pakistan national civil awards on the citizens and the armed personnel at the Annual Investiture Ceremony. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was also present on the occasion. The federal ministers and services chiefs also attended the ceremony.
The president conferred civil awards of Nishan-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Hilal-e-Pakistan, Hilal-e-Shujaat, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Shujaat, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Sidarti Tamgha Barayay Husn-e-Karkardagi, Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Sitara-e-Khidmat, Tamgha-e-Shujaat, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Tamgha-e-Khidmat on various civilians and personnel of armed forces, paramilitary forces and police. These persons rendered meritorious services for Pakistan in various fields. A number of recipients laid down their lives for the country.
The special feature of the ceremony was conferring Nishan-e-Imtiaz to members of the Parliament who worked in Parliamentary Constitutional Committee which formulated 18th and 19th constitutional amendments. The President also conferred military awards of Tamgha-e- Basalat on eleven personnel of armed forces in the ceremony.
The prominent persons who received National Civil Awards today include Federal ministers Mian Raza Rabbani and Babar Awan, members of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee, Minister for Information Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa Bashir Ahmed Balior, former Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, Senior Police Officer Sifwat Ghayur, T.V. anchor person Najam Saithi, T.V. artist Sohail Ahmed, film artist late Waheed Murid, renowned journalist Athar Abbas and Major General Bilar Umar Shaheed.
