372 honoured with Pakistan Civil Awards on Independence Day

The government has separately recognised overseas Pakistanis for their contributions, with recipients selected for honours including

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has announced the Pakistan Civil Awards 2026 honouring 372 Pakistani citizens, overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals for their outstanding achievements, services and acts of courage in various fields.

The awards were announced on August 14, 2026 on the occasion of Independence Day, by the President of Pakistan. According to an official press release issued by the Cabinet Division, the honours recognise individuals who have demonstrated exceptional performance, excellence, dedication and bravery.

The awards will formally be conferred at an Investiture Ceremony on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2027.

The recipients come from diverse fields, including science, engineering, education, medicine, literature, arts, sports, journalism, social welfare, philanthropy and public service. A significant number have also been recognised for gallantry and sacrifices made while performing their duties.

Among scientists, Dr Shahid Mahmud has been selected for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in Science (I.T.), while Prof Dr Syed Zafar Ilyas and Prof Dr Mudassir Asrar will receive the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.

Several other scientists, including Dr Sajjad Hussain, Prof Dr Aneela Zameer Jaffery and Dr Urooj Saeed, have been selected for the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz. Engineers Dr Muhammad Sadiq and Prof Dr Naeem-ul-Haq Tariq have also been named for the award.

In education, Prof Sheikh Imtiaz Ali (late) has received the Nishan-i-Imtiaz posthumously. Lt Gen (retd) Moazzam Ejaz has been selected for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, while other educators and researchers have been recognised with Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

The government has also honoured numerous doctors and health professionals. Prof Faisal Saud Dar has been selected for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, while the late Prof Dr Tahir Shamsi has been awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz posthumously for his contributions to bone marrow transplantation.

The arts category includes actors, singers, musicians, painters and theatre personalities. Sultana Siddiqi has been selected for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, while Nisho Begum, Iftikhar Ahmed Thakur, Syed Fasih Uddin Soharwardhy, Shakir Hussain, Taranam Naz and Saira John Peter are among those receiving the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.

Numerous performers and traditional artists have also been recognised through the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

Literary figures have also featured prominently. Asad Muhammad Khan has been selected for the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for his contributions to fiction, drama and poetry, while Ejaz Rahim and Muhammad Khurshid Ul Hasan Rizvi will receive the Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

Sports personalities, including wrestler Bashir Bhola, shooter Kishmala Talat, squash player Noor Zaman, boxer Muhammad Waseem and cricketer Sadiq Muhammad, have also been recognised.

Journalists Muhammad Saleh Zaafir and Haji Nawaz Raza have been selected for the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, while several other media professionals will receive Pride of Performance and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz awards.

Public service remains one of the largest categories, with Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Mohsin Naqvi, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema and Bilal Azhar Kayani selected for the Nishan-i-Imtiaz.

The list also includes numerous military personnel, police officers and civilians recognised for bravery. Forty-three individuals have been named for the Sitara-i-Shuja’at, with many receiving the honour posthumously for sacrificing their lives in the line of duty.

Several foreign nationals have also been honoured for their services to Pakistan. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak has been selected for the Nishan-i-Pakistan, while other international figures have been chosen for various civil awards.

The government has separately recognised overseas Pakistanis for their contributions, with recipients selected for honours including the Nishan-i-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

The official notification was issued by Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal on August 14. The awards will be formally presented on March 23, 2027.