Islamabad, ( By Ehsan Bukhari ) :
In a grand ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr (President House), Pakistan honored its top civil and military leaders with prestigious national awards for their courage, leadership, and service to the country.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir received the ‘Hilal-e-Jurat’, one of Pakistan’s highest military honors, in recognition of his exceptional bravery, strategic command, and unwavering patriotism during the Battle of Haq. President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the award in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top dignitaries.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, was presented the ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’, while Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu were also honored for their distinguished service. The Air Chief was awarded the ‘Hilal-e-Jurat’ for neutralizing enemy air superiority during critical combat missions.
In the civilian category, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar were among those conferred with the ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’ for their strategic and diplomatic contributions during and after the Battle of Haq.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was recognized for maintaining national unity and internal peace, while Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received the ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’ for effectively presenting Pakistan’s case on global forums and exposing Indian provocations.
Special Assistant to PM Rana Sanaullah was also awarded for promoting political harmony and national consensus.
A number of other civilian and military figures received accolades for their contributions. Members of the specially formed diplomatic delegation — Senator Sherry Rehman, Faisal Sabzwari, Hina Rabbani Khar, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Bushra Anjum, Omar Farooq, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Musadik Malik, and Tariq Fatemi — were honored with the ‘Hilal-e-Imtiaz’.
The Pakistan Air Force’s brave pilots, including Wing Commanders Bilal Raza and Hammad Ibn Masood, as well as Squadron Leaders Muhammad Yousaf Khan, Osama Ashfaq, and others, were awarded the ‘Sitara-e-Jurat’.
Martyrs were also posthumously honored, including Lance Havaldar Amir Shiraz, Lance Naik Ikramullah, and Sepoy Adeel Akbar (Tamgha-e-Jurat). Sepoy Nisar Ahmed received the ‘Sitara-e-Basalat’ posthumously.
Prominent military leaders including Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik (DG ISI), Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry (DG ISPR), and several others from the army, navy, and air force also received awards for their meritorious service.
The event concluded with a collective vow to uphold the dignity of the national flag and continue serving the country with loyalty and courage.
