Activist urges President to withdraw Civil awards given to serving Bureaucrats and Ministers

Pakistani citizen and activist Ashba Kamran has formally written to President Asif Ali Zardari, calling for the immediate withdrawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani citizen and activist Ashba Kamran has formally written to President Asif Ali Zardari, calling for the immediate withdrawal of national civil awards announced by the government on August 14, 2026, for serving bureaucrats, federal secretaries and ministers.

In her letter addressed to the President, Kamran argued that awarding national honours to salaried bureaucrats and ministers for carrying out their routine official responsibilities amounts to a violation of the Constitution and relevant laws. She maintained that government officials should not receive national awards merely for performing duties for which they are already appointed and paid.

According to the letter, Kamran had previously raised similar concerns with the Presidency in August 2025 and had sent a formal reminder regarding the issue. However, she claimed that despite the earlier communication, the administration once again took what she described as an unconstitutional step by including serving government officials among the recipients of civil awards announced on August 14 this year.

The activist cited constitutional and legal provisions to support her position. Referring to Article 259(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan, she argued that national awards are intended to recognise exceptional achievements, including acts of bravery, distinguished services by members of the armed forces, academic distinction and extraordinary and selfless public service.

She further maintained that the concept of “public service” in the context of national honours should refer to exceptional and self-sacrificing contributions rather than the routine responsibilities performed by bureaucrats and ministers in their official capacities. Such responsibilities, she argued, are already compensated through regular salaries and official benefits.

Kamran also referred to the Decorations Act, 1975, and other relevant laws governing national civil awards. According to her interpretation, these legal provisions do not permit civil honours to be linked simply to an individual’s administrative position, seniority or government employment.

The letter further raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest. Kamran argued that granting national awards to serving government officials for routine administrative work could encourage a culture of favouritism and preferential treatment. She called for greater transparency and adherence to established legal standards when selecting recipients of national honours.

The activist also invoked Article 5(2) of the Constitution, which establishes the obligation to obey the Constitution and the law. She argued that this obligation applies to every citizen, including the head of state and government officials.

Kamran presented two key demands in her letter. First, she called for an administrative order to immediately withdraw the awards granted to serving bureaucrats and ministers included in the August 14, 2026 list where the honours were allegedly awarded for performing their routine official responsibilities.

Second, she urged the Cabinet Division to issue clear instructions preventing officials who are merely performing their regular administrative and governmental duties from being eligible for future nominations for national civil awards.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Division in Islamabad for consideration and appropriate action.

The matter has raised questions about the criteria used for selecting recipients of national honours and the distinction between exceptional public service and the routine responsibilities associated with government positions.