Pride of Performance award, also called Tam a- Husn-e K rkardag , acknowledges distinguished contribution of Pakistani civilians in their respective fields including literature, arts, sports, medicine and science. The awards are conferred by the President of Pakistan at a ceremony that takes place on Pakistan Day, that is, March 23, each year and this year was no exception.
Those who have been honoured with various awards at the event this year include names like singer-social activist Shehzad Roy, veteran artist Khaled Anum, renowned authors Mohsin Hamid and Mohammad Hanif, and the late Junaid Jamshed, Amjad Sabri and Asma Jehangir.
Shehzad Roy received his second Sitara e Imtiaz for his active engagement in social work for several years. The artist took to Twitter ahead of the event to share the news and dedicated the title to unsung heroes of the nation. He tweeted, “I will be honoured with Sitara e Imtiaz tomorrow in Islamabad. I know of so many unsung heroes who may have never been publicly recognized but they work every day to reform our society. I dedicate this award to their selfless dedication.”
Khaled Anam, on the other hand, has been honoured with the Presidential Pride of Performance (Sadarti Aizaz Barai-Husn-Karkardagi) in recognition of his services for over 30 years in theatre, music, drama and for his contribution in promoting children’s education through media.
In addition, authors Mohsin Hamid and Mohammed Hanif have also been awarded with Sitara e Imtiaz for their contribution to literature while the late Asma Jehangir has been honoured with Nishan-e-Imtiaz. Cricketers who have been honoured with Sitara e Imtiaz include Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and former players Younus Khan, Shahid Afridi and Misbah ul Haq.
