ISLAMABAD: Marking the 78th Independence Day — celebrated Thursday with emphasis on Marka-e-Haq, the recent armed clash with India — the President House held a special investiture ceremony to honour the nation’s top civil and military leaders with prestigious national awards.
Among the recipients was Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir who was bestowed with Hilal-e-Jurat by President Asif Ali Zardari for leading the army during the most difficult of times.
The awards ceremony came against the backdrop of the recent Pakistan-India conflict, which saw Washington brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours after New Delhi launched attacks inside Pakistan — under the pretext of targeting terrorists — which it said were responsible for the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
India’s attacks prompted Pakistan to launch Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos after downing six Indian Air Force fighter jets, including three Rafales, in response to Indian unprovoked aggression.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu was conferred with Hilal-e-Jurat at today’s ceremony.
Following the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan launched a diplomatic offensive and sent a delegation led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to the United States, UK and other European countries to present Pakistan’s stance to the world.
Members of the parliamentary delegation include Hina Rabbani Khar, Sherry Rehman, Dr Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Tehmina Janjua, Bushra Anjum Butt and Syed Faisal Subzwari.
The delegation held various key meetings with high-ranking officials during their tour and played a significant role in propagating and strengthening Pakistan’s narrative and countering Indian propaganda — for which Bilawal was bestowed with Nishan-e-Imtiaz today.
The president, moreover, granted the military awards to the officers and soldiers of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force for conspicuous courage and supreme sacrifice rendered during Operation “Bunyan-Um-Marsoos”.
Eight Sitara-e-Jurat, five Tamgha-e-Jurat, 24 Sitara-e-Basalat, 45 Tamgha-e-Basalat, 146 Imtiazi Asnad, 259 COAS Commendation Cards, and 1 Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Military) have been granted.
Senior journalist and Editor Investigations at The News, Ansar Abbasi, has declined to accept the Marka-e-Haq Award. In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, Abbasi conveyed his decision, stating that the entire nation was deserving of the honour.
He added that he had not done anything extraordinary, emphasising that whatever he did was simply his duty.
PAF Shaheens
In recognition of the Pakistan Air Force’s exceptional operational excellence and valour during the recent standoff with India, national awards were bestowed upon the following PAF officers.
Sitara-e-Jurat
- Wing Commander Bilal Raza General Duty Pilot (GDP)
- Wing Commander Hammad Ibne Masood, GDP
- Squadron Leader M Yousaf Khan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Osama Ishfaq, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Hassan Anees, GDP
- Squadron Leader Talal Hassan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Fida Muhammad Khan, GDP
- Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Ashhad Amir, GDP
Sitara-e-Basalat
- Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Ehsan Ulhaq, GDP
- Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, GDP
- Air Commodore Attaullah Zeb, GDP
- Air Commodore Zia Aftab, GDP
- Air Commodore Muhammad Noman Ali Khan, GDP
- Air Commodore Ali Javed Hashmi, Engineer (Engg)
- Air Commodore Sajjad Haider, AD
Tamgha-e-Basalat
- Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf, (shaheed) Engg
- Air Commodore Adeel Shahab Qureshi, GDP
- Air Commodore Farhan Zia, GDP
- Air Commodore Jehanzeb Burki, Engg
- Air Commodore Azhar Hasan, Engg
- Air Commodore Rana Ilyas Hassan, Air Defence (AD)
- Air Commodore Syed Muhammad Kamran Abid, AD
- Group Captain Muhammad Salman, AD
- Wing Commander Wajeeh Ullah Mian, GDP
- Wing Commander Muhammad Shafaat Saeed, GDP
- Wing Commander Malik Rizwan-Ul-Haq Iftikhar, GDP
- Wing Commander Haider Ijaz, GDP
- Wing Commander Junaid Azam, GDP
- Wing Commander Awais Nazir, GDP
- Squadron Leader Jibran Rashid, GDP
- Squadron Leader Kashif Bashir, GDP
- Squadron Leader Hassaan Khan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Zeeshan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Saad, GDP
- Squadron Leader Saad Arif, Engg
- Squadron Leader Aamir Ghafoor, AD
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Arqam Raees, AD
- Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Nouman Shafique, GDP