Pakistan unveils star-studded civil awards

The Government of Pakistan has announced its annual list of civil awards as part of the country’s Independence Day celebrations, honouring 372 individuals for their contributions across various fields.

The recipients will be formally presented with their awards on Pakistan Day, March 23, next year.

According to the announced list, 54 awards have been allocated for services to the arts, while 29 recognise contributions to literature and nine have been awarded in the field of sports.

Several prominent names from Pakistan’s entertainment and cultural landscape have been included among this year’s recipients. Actors Sania Saeed, Maria Wasti and Mahmood Aslam, musicians Shiraz Uppal and Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, better known as Xulfi, and television host Shafat Ali are among the notable awardees.

In the arts category, Sultana Siddiqi has been selected for the Hilal-i-Imtiaz for her services to production, while Nisho Begum, Iftikhar Ahmed Thakur, Fasih Uddin Soharwardy, Shakir Hussain, Taranam Naz and several other prominent figures have been named for Sitara-i-Imtiaz and other civil awards.

Mahmood Aslam, Sarfraz Hussain Ansari, M Ehtesham Warsi, Ghazala Kaifi, Shazma Haleem, Maria Wasti and Sania Saeed are among those receiving the President’s Award for Pride of Performance for their contributions to acting and direction.

The list also recognises artists and musicians from different parts of the country. Classical musicians, singers, painters, sculptors, choreographers, qawwali performers and traditional craftsmen have been honoured for preserving and promoting Pakistan’s cultural heritage.

Among the recipients are Xulfi, awarded for music; Aftab Zafar for painting and illustration; Nadeem Salamat for qawwali; Tayyeba Aziz for painting and sculpting; and several artists recognised for traditional crafts including embroidery, block printing, stone carving and regional handicrafts.

The literature category features a wide range of writers, poets, playwrights and researchers. Asad Muhammad Khan has been selected for the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for his contributions to playwriting and poetry.

Ejaz Rahim and Muhammad Khurshid Ul Hasan Rizvi are among those receiving the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, while writers including Shakeel Adilzada, Waheed Uz Zaman Tariq, Maqsood Hussain Jafri, Hashim Nadeem and other literary figures have been named for the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.

The President’s Award for Pride of Performance in literature has also been awarded to several writers and poets, including Dr Shahida Shaheen, Ali Muhammad Farshi, Aslam Javed, Rehman Faris and other contributors to Urdu and regional literature.

The government has also recognised contributions to sports. Atta Mohammad Kakar and Dr Waseem A Tai have been selected for the Sitara-i-Imtiaz for their services to boxing coaching and yoga, respectively.

The President’s Award for Pride of Performance in sports includes wrest­ler Bashir Bhola, shooter Kishmala Talat, squash player Noor Zaman, ramp-jump performer Sultan Muhammad Golden, boxer Muhammad Waseem and cricketer Sadiq Muhammad.

Athlete Faiqa Riaz has been named for the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

The annual civil awards recognise individuals who have made notable contributions to Pakistan in areas including culture, literature, sports and the arts. The awards ceremony will be held on March 23, when the recipients will officially receive their respective honours.