Top 20 distinguished recipients of the Pakistan Civil Awards

ISLAMABAD: The President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi on the occasion of the Independence Day on August 14, has announced  ‘Pakistan Civil Awards’ for citizens of the country and foreign nationals for their immense services towards the country.

These awards will be given at a special ceremony on the Pakistan Day, March 23, 2020.

Here are the profiles of  the top 20 notable and distinguished individuals who will be getting extolled for their contributions:

Hilal-i-Pakistan : 

1- Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan  (UAE) 

Emirati royal Sheikh Mansour serves as the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is the minister of presidential affairs.

He hails from the royal family of Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mansour, half-brother of the UAE’s President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is getting bestowed with the accolade for his services to Pakistan.

He had earlier this year in January held talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan going into discourse over strengthening relations between Pakistan and the UAE while also putting great strains on regional and international developments. 

2- Song Tao (China) 

Chinese politician and senior diplomat Song Tao is being paid tribute  for his services to Pakistan.

The distinguished diplomat holds a PhD in Economics and is presently serving as the head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China. He has formerly fulfilled his duties as the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines and Guyana and has also served as  the disciplinary chief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the executive deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office. 

3- Zhong Shan (China) 

Hailing from China, Zhong Shan is getting bestowed with the prominent civilian award for his services in Pakistan.

The politician and business executive serves as the Commerce Minister of the People’s Republic of China.

Shan has played a weighty role in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and to ease socio-economic issues in the region.

4-Sheila Jackson Lee (USA)  

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has been a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan and is getting lauded for the continuous support and services she has put in for Pakistan.

The Democrat is presently the US representative for Texas’s 18th congressional district.

In May, Lee had swung praises towards the Pakistani premier for his vision and leadership while also reiterating her assurance towards strengthening of Pakistan and USA’s bilateral ties. 

Sitara-i-Imtiaz : 

5- Javed Afridi

Recognized far and wide as the owner of Pakistan Super League’s team Peshawar Zalmi, Muhammad Javed Afridi is getting honoured for his public services.

The business executive currently holding the post of CEO of Haier Pakistan, has made several investments in cricket over the course of time as he aims to develop the sport’s infrastructure in Pakistan. 

6- Muhammad Taqi Usmani 

Renowned religious scholar Muhammad Taqi Usmani is getting paid homage for his immense public service over the years.

He holds credit of pioneering the Islamic banking concept in Pakistan while also having several published works in Arabic, Urdu and English under his name that cover various topics pertaining to the Islamic faith.

7- Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal  

Pakistan’s renowned jurist and law professor Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal is getting hailed for her services on Independence Day.

Justice Iqbal was one of the first five women to be appointed at the Lahore High Court where she served from 1994 to 2002. 

8- Pavel Bém

The government is honouring on the Independence Day, Czech physician and politician Pavel Bém for his inordinate services to Pakistan.

The Deputy Leader of the Civic Democratic Party in Czech Republic had served as the Mayor of the capital city of Prague from 2002 till 2010.

9- Arshad Saleem Bhatti

Prof. Dr. Arshad Saleem Bhatti is getting honoured for his immense services for the country in the field of engineering and technology.

With a teaching and research experience spanning over 24 years, Prof. Bhatti is recognized as a semiconductor physicist and has been working on synthesis and nanostructures for sensor applications.

Serving as the Dean of Faculty of Science at COMSATS, Prof. Bhatti also established ultra-modern art device fabrication facilities at the institution.

10- Najeeb Ullah Ghauri (USA)  

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director of NetSol Technologies, Najeeb Ullah Ghauri stands as a prominent name in spheres of business leadership around the world.

Ghauri is getting paid accolades for his services to Pakistan as he currently holds the post of director at NetSol Technologies Ltd in Lahore. 

11- Asrar Ahmad  (Ibn-e-Safi)

Prolific writer Asrar Ahmad who was known more widely by his pen name Ibn-e-Safi is getting posthumously awarded for his weighty contributions as a best-selling and prolific fiction writer, novelist and poet of Urdu.

Some of his most recognized works include ‘Jasoosi Dunya’, ‘Imran Series’, ‘Gultarang’ and many others. 

12- Ayub Sabir

Pakistan’s acclaimed writer Ayub Sabir will be receiving the honour for his colossal services for the country in the field of literature and education.

Sabir holds a degree of Master of Arts from Peshawar University and a M.Phil. degree on Iqbal studies from Allama Iqbal Open University.

His experience in the field of teaching spans over 32 years.

Sitara-i-Pakistan:

13- Baroness Syeeda Hussain Warsi 

Baroness Warsi is a British lawyer, politician and a member of the House of Lords and is getting awarded with the accolade for her immense services to Pakistan.

Baroness Warsi, coming from immigrant parents from Pakistan, has been a surging voice for Muslim women of colour around the world.

She was the first Muslim woman to be selected by the Conservatives to stand for Parliament and to enter the Cabinet as well. She went on to become the youngest member of the House of Lords in 2007. 

Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam:

14- Senator Lindsey Graham (USA) 

United States Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey graham who serves as a Republican, is getting paid tribute to for his services to Pakistan as he is widely recognized as one of the most active and vocal supporters of reinforcing US-Pakistan bilateral ties to bring about peace and stability in the region.

He is currently the Chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. 

Hilal-i-Imtiaz:

15- Zhao Baige (China)

Deputy Director of the National Population and Family Commission, Ms. Zhao Baige is getting endowed the national honour for her services to Pakistan.

After graduating from the University of Cambridge with Doctorate Degree in 1989, she began her work with the National Population and Family Planning Commission in 1998. 

16- Qari Syed Sadaqat Ali 

Acclaimed Pakistani qari, Syed Sadaqat Ali is getting extolled for his significant contribution in public service for instilling Islamic knowledge and values in the youth of Pakistan.

He is widely recognized for his program ‘Aao Quraan Parhein’ aimed at a younger audience as it helped them develop their reading and pronunciation skills of the Holy Book. He was earlier awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance as well for his services.

Pride of Performance :

17-Saieen Zahoor

One of the leading voices of Sufi music in Pakistan, Saieen Zahoor is receiving the honours for his hefty contributions which also bagged him the title of the ‘best BBC voice of the year 2006.’

The musician rose to fame after getting featured on Coke Studio Pakistan where he sang compositions of Bulleh Shah, Shah Badakhshi, Muhammad Qadiri and others. 

18- Sahir Ali Bagga

A surging name in Pakistan’s music panorama, singer, music director and composer Sahir Ali Bagga is getting extolled for his services.

Bagga has numerous film and television scores to his credit with some of the most prominent works for cinema being ‘Zinda Bhaag’, ‘Dukhtar’, ‘Maalik’, ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Aani’ and many more. 

19- Hassan Sadpara

Pakistani mountaineer and adventurer Hassan Sadpara is getting posthumously awarded for his numerous notable feats that include him being the first Pakistani to have scaled six eight-thousanders which also include the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest. 

Hilal-i-Shuja’at:

20- Abdul Quddus Sheikh

Deputy Collector Customs Quetta, Dr Abdul Quddus Sheikh is getting honoured for his gallantry as he was assailed by suspected smugglers last month after which he lost his life.

Dr Sheikh was attacked at Gahi Khan Chowk as he was returning home subsequent to an operation in Quetta’s Kolpur area.