Government moves to review civil awards system, PM constitutes high-level committee

The federal government has decided to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing system for conferring Pakistan’s civil awards,

ISLAMABAD, September 24, 2026: The federal government has decided to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing system for conferring Pakistan’s civil awards, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituting a high-level committee to examine the procedures, criteria and framework governing the awards.

The decision comes as the government seeks to review the mechanism through which individuals are nominated, evaluated and selected for national civil honours. The committee has been tasked with examining the existing regime and recommending measures aimed at making the process more transparent, objective and merit-based.

The Cabinet Division has issued an official notification regarding the formation of the committee. According to Notification No. F.8/6/2026-Awards-I, dated September 21, 2026, obtained by Minute Mirror, the Prime Minister has reconstituted the committee to review the existing regime for granting civil awards.

The latest notification supersedes an earlier notification issued on September 1, 2026.

Nasir Mahmood Khosa appointed convenor

According to the notification, retired federal secretary Nasir Mahmood Khosa has been appointed as the Convenor of the Civil Awards Review Committee.

The Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) will serve as Co-Convenor, while the Secretary of the Cabinet Division has been designated as Secretary of the committee.

The committee comprises senior serving and retired officials as well as representatives from key federal and provincial institutions. Its composition is intended to bring together administrative, financial, legal and regional perspectives while reviewing the existing civil awards mechanism.

Among the members are former senior police officer Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, the Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs, the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Secretary of Commerce and the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

A representative of the Ministry of Defence has also been included in the committee. Former Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi and former Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts Jamal Shah are also among the members.

Committee given broad terms of reference

The committee has been assigned wide-ranging terms of reference to assess the current civil awards system.

It will conduct a comprehensive review of the existing policy, including the legal framework governing Pakistan Civil Awards. The committee will also examine the eligibility criteria and procedures relating to nominations, scrutiny, evaluation and final conferment of awards.

Another key responsibility will be to identify shortcomings or gaps in the existing system that may affect the credibility of the civil awards process.

The committee has also been directed to propose reforms aimed at making the system more objective, transparent and merit-driven. Its review will additionally consider ways to ensure greater national inclusiveness in the recognition of deserving individuals from different regions and sectors.

The terms of reference also call for measures to insulate the process from political or bureaucratic influence.

The review could therefore lead to changes in the way nominations are processed, candidates are assessed and recommendations are finalised before civil awards are formally conferred.

The formation of the committee signals a formal government-level effort to reassess the existing civil awards framework and develop recommendations for improving the credibility, transparency and effectiveness of the national honours system.