March, 24 2005	Thursday	13 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 23: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday conferred civil and military awards on outstanding individuals at an investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on Pakistan Day. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chairman Senate, Speaker National Assembly, Members of Federal Cabinet, Members of Parliament, Services Chiefs, Islamabad-based foreign envoys and prominent citizens attended the investiture ceremony.

In order to promote a greater sense of participation at the provincial level on the Pakistan Day, this year the Pakistan Civil Award ceremonies were held in each of the provincial headquarters in addition to the investiture ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

In this way, the recipients of the awards had the satisfaction of being joined by their family members on an auspicious moment in their lives.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf decorated 31 recipients of the Pakistan Civil Awards, including four foreigners.

He also conferred 25 military awards on 11 personnel who embraced martyrdom and 14 serving officers, junior commissioned officers and jawans.

In all the provinces, whereby the provincial governors conferred the awards on behalf of the president in categories up to Sitara along with President’s Award for Pride of Performance to the recipients belonging to respective provinces.

Military awards in similar categories were conferred under decentralized arrangements by respective services.

Investiture Ceremony for the awards in the categories of Hilal and Nishan as well as of Shujaat was held in the Aiwan-i-Sadr. All gallantry awards, which were previously decentralized, were conferred at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

The conferment of Civil Awards on Pakistan Day to 12 foreigners took place in the respective Pakistan Missions abroad.

The awards are in recognition of the contribution of men and women who have rendered meritorious service to the country in their respective fields of activity or performed exemplary acts of gallantry.

The awards fall in the categories of Order of Pakistan, Shujaat, Quaid-i-Azam and Khidmat.

Each Order has four categories, namely Nishan, Hilal, Sitara and Tamgha. In addition, the president honours persons through award of Pride of Performance for excellence in Arts, Science, Literature, Sports and Nursing.

The Civil Awards are announced every year on August 14 (Independence Day) and the actual ceremony to confer these awards takes place on the Pakistan Day.

In all, a total of 133 awards were conferred this year.

The governor of Punjab on behalf of the president decorated 29 recipients of Pakistan Civil Awards at the Investiture Ceremony held in the Governor’s House Punjab, Lahore.

A total of 21 recipients of Pakistan Civil Awards were decorated by the governor Sindh, on behalf of the president, at the Investiture Ceremony held in the Governor’s House Sindh, Karachi.

Eight recipients of Pakistan Civil Awards were decorated by the governor, NWFP, on behalf of the president at the Investiture Ceremony held in the Governor’s House NWFP, Peshawar.

Four recipients of Pakistan Civil Awards were decorated by the governor, Balochistan, on behalf of the president at the Investiture Ceremony held in the Governor’s House Balochistan, Quetta.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee decorated 16 recipients of Pakistan Civil Awards on behalf of the president at the Investiture Ceremony held at the JCSC Headquarters.

Twelve recipients of Pakistan Civil Awards will be decorated by the Vice Chief of Army Staff on behalf of the president at the Investiture Ceremony being held in the GHQ on March 31.

The following is the list of recipients of civil awards conferred by the president in Islamabad and decorated by the governors in their respective provincial headquarters:

HILAL-I-PAKISTAN: Prof Dr H.C. Wolfgang Voelter (Germany), Science (Chemistry).

HILAL-I-IMTIAZ: Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai (Rawalpindi Cantt), Public Service; Lt-Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (Islamabad), Public Service; Maj-Gen Israr Ahmad Ghuman (Taxila Cantt), Public Service; Justice (retd) Dr Javid Iqbal (Lahore), Literature (Iqbaliat/Biography); Dr Ahmad Faraz (Islamabad), Literature (Poetry); Mrs Nadira Panjwani (Karachi), Public Service; Ms Farida Khanum (Lahore), Art (Singer Classical/Semi-classical); Prof Dr Haroon Ahmed (UK).

HILAL-I-QUAID-I-AZAM: Prof John L. Esposito (Washington DC, US); Senator John Warner (US); Prof Dr Emil Ghitulescu (Islamabad), Literature.

SITARA-I-IMTIAZ: Prof Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Science (Physics); Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Public Service (Research); Mrs Zoe Millicent Hersov, Public Service.

TAMGHA-I-KHIDMAT: Ms Adelhied Nastele, Public Service.

SITARA-I-PAKISTAN: Dr Agnes Grace Warren (Australia).-—APP

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