ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari awarded civil honors to 125 individuals, including Pakistani nationals and foreigners, recognizing their exceptional contributions to the nation across various fields. The awards ceremony took place at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, attended by prominent government officials and members of civil society.

According to Radio Pakistan, the ceremony saw the posthumous conferral of the Nishan-e-Imtiaz on three individuals, including Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui, for their outstanding service to Pakistan. The Hilal-e-Shujaat was awarded to eight individuals, while sixteen received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, including notable personalities such as Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Shahid Khan Afridi.

The Sitara-e-Jurat was presented to thirty-eight individuals, recognizing acts of bravery, including the late Senator Hidayatullah and Liaqat Ali Shaheed, who thwarted a suicide attack in Attock. The Sitara-e-Imtiaz honored twenty-two distinguished figures, such as Secretary Interior Captain (Retd) Khurram Agha and Home Minister Sindh Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar.

The ceremony also highlighted the contributions of cultural figures, with TV actors Rashid Waheed Khawaja and Zahid Ahmad receiving the Presidential Award of Pride of Performance. Additional awards included the Tamgha-e-Shujaat to Shahid Hussain and the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz to thirty-four individuals, including IG Sindh Javaid Akhtar Odhoo and CEO SMEDA Nadia Jehangir Seth.