Civil awards honour Zehra Nigah, Hadiqa Kiani, Shahid Afridi, Sana Mir and others across arts, literature, sports
Pakistani celebrities, writers, artists,. sports personalities were among the recipients of this year’s civil awards, honoured on Wednesday for their outstanding contributions to music, journalism, literature, acting, the arts, and sports. Ceremonies were held in Islamabad, Peshawar, and Karachi.
At the main ceremony in Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the country’s highest civil honours in the presence of senior political leaders, including Yousaf Raza Gillani, Ayaz Sadiq,. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, along with federal ministers, parliamentarians, civil and military officials, and diplomats.
The Nishan-e-Imtiaz was awarded to writers Ata ul Haq Qasmi and Irfan Siddiqui in recognition of their contributions to literature. Celebrated poets Zehra Nigah. Zehra Majid Ali, along with noted playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed, received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz for their services to the arts.
Waqas Khan was honoured with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. He is well-known for his meticulous, minimalist drawings including public collections at the British Museum. Muhammad Ibrahim Muhammad Abdul Qadir was awarded the Sitara-e-Pakistan for his diplomatic services.
The president also honoured figures from photography and visual arts, including photographer Irfan Ahson and visual artist Hamra Abbas. Actors Rashid Waheed Khawaja. Zahid Ahmed were also recognised, while singer Hadiqa Kiani received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz for her achievements in music.
In sports, former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz for his services to the game. He was honoured alongside mountaineer Shehroze Kashif and the late equestrian Malik Ata Muhammad Khan. Shooter Mohsin Nawaz also received recognition, while artist Waseem Ahmed was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
In Peshawar, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi presented the Sitara-e-Imtiaz to former Pakistan women’s cricket captain Sana Mir. The Pride of Performance Award was presented to Jamshid Ali Khan for his services in arts, direction,. production, while Aminullah Daudzai was honoured for his contributions to literature and poetry.
Meanwhile, squash champion Muhammad Hamza Khan received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his achievements in sports.
At a separate ceremony in Karachi, Sindh Governor Nehal Hashmi conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz on actors Fazila Qazi. Savera Nadeem in recognition of their contributions to the entertainment industry.
Singer Mukhtiar Naz. also known as Taj Mastani, received the Pride of Performance Award for her services to music, while naat khawan Qazi Shujaat Qadri was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
The ceremonies celebrated the achievements of individuals from diverse fields, recognising their contributions to Pakistan’s cultural, literary, artistic,. sporting landscape.
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