Civil decorations of Pakistan
The Pakistan Civil Awards were established on March 19, 1957, following the proclamation of Pakistan as an independent republic on March 23, 1956. The announcement of civil awards is generally made once a year on Independence Day, August 14, and their investiture takes place on the following Pakistan Day, March 23. According to Article 259 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973,[1] along with the Decorations Act, 1975, the President of Pakistan confers civil awards on Pakistani citizens in recognition of gallantry. Awards for Pride of Performance are conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of art, literature, science, sports and nursing.
| Civil decorations of Pakistan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | In recognition of gallantry, academic distinction or distinction in the fields of sports or nursing. |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Presented by | President of Pakistan |
| First awarded | 1957 |
In December, the ministries and their divisions are invited to recommend candidates to the Cabinet Division. Received nominations are considered by three awards committees after which final proposal is sent to the President for approval. After the President's approval, the announcements are made on Independence Day and investiture takes place on Pakistan Day.[2]
The President of Pakistan can confer awards to foreign nationals any time during the year. For such awards, proposals are made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and approved by the President prior to conferral.
The Civil Awards comprise five orders,[3] each with four descending classes: Nishan (Order; Urdu: نشان), Hilal (Crescent; Urdu: ہلال), Sitara (Star; Urdu: ستارہ) and Tamgha (Medal; Urdu: تمغہ).[3]
Order Class |
Pakistan | Shujaat (bravery) | Imtiaz (excellence) | Quaid-i-Azam* (leadership) | Khidmat* (service) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation: | Services in distinction of the state | Acts of heroism, courage in the face of danger and gallantry in saving life | Distinction in the fields of arts, literature, academia and business | For special merit or eminent services freely given | For long and meritorious services to nation-building, especially amongst the poor |
1. Nishaan (Order) |
Nishan-e-Pakistan* (1) | Nishan-e-Shujaat (2) | Nishan-e-Imtiaz (3) | Nishan-e-Quaid-i-Azam (4) | Nishan-e-Khidmat (5) |
2. Hilal Crescent)  |
Hilal-e-Pakistan (6) | Hilal-e-Shujaat (7) | Hilal-e-Imtiaz (8) | Hilal-e-Quaid-i-Azam (9) | Hilal-e-Khidmat (10) |
3. Sitara (Star) |
Sitara-e-Pakistan (11) | Sitara-e-Shujaat (12) | Sitara-e-Imtiaz (13) Pride of Performance (14) |
Sitara-e-Quaid-i-Azam (15) | Sitara-e-Khidmat (16) |
4. Tamgha (Medal)  |
Tamgha-e-Pakistan (17) | Tamgha-e-Shujaat (18) | Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (19) | Tamgha-e-Quaid-i-Azam (20) | Tamgha-e-Khidmat (21) |
* Only awarded to foreign nationals.
Number in parentheses indicates order of precedence.
References
- "Constitution of Pakistan 1973". Government of Pakistan., Retrieved 12 February 2017
- http://www.pakdocs.com/honours-and-awards-policy/, 'Pakistan Honours and Awards Policy' on pakdocs.com website, lished 11 August 2012, Retrieved 11 February 2017
- "Decorations and Medals of Pakistan, images and descriptions". Retrieved 12 February 2017.
External links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140812211253/http://www.shaheedfoundation.org/nishanehaider.asp, Profiles of some 'Shaheeds' (martyrs) who were awarded Nishan-e-Haider Awards, Retrieved 12 February 2017