PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday awarded presidential civil awards to seven residents of the province in different fields in connection with Pakistan Day.

An award distribution ceremony on the occasion of Pakistan Day was organised at Governor House Peshawar. The governor awarded the civil awards to them on behalf of President of Pakistan, according to a statement.

Mr Kundi awarded Tamgha-i-Shujaat to four of Tamgha-i-Imtiaz to three residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Tamgha-i-Shujaat was given to late Saeed Khan, Sahib Khan, Malik Mehmood Jan (martyr) and Samiullah Khan (martyr) posthumously in recognition of their bravery.

The governor awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz to Arshad Aziz Malik for his services in the field of journalism and Dr Akifullah Khan in the field of medicine. Pashto singer Bakhtiar Ahmed Khattak was also given Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.

The ceremony was attended by Air Vice Marshal Taimur Iqbal, Administration Department Secretary Shahid Sohail, and relatives of the awardees in a large number.

Arshad Aziz Malik played a significant role in bringing facts to public in an effective manner through his investigative reporting.

After earning master’s degrees in international relations, political science and journalism from University of Peshawar, he began his journalism career in 1991 with Daily Mashriq. From 1994 to 2013, he was associated with Daily Aaj. In 2014, he joined Jang Group as resident editor.

He filed more than 1,000 reports, exposing irregularities in development projects, abuse of power, corruption and fraud.

He also served as president of Khyber Union of Journalists for two years. Under his leadership, more than 300 journalists in Peshawar benefited from health insurance.

As the president of Peshawar Press Club twice, he provided exceptional welfare services to journalists.

Recently, his book KP SCAMS: A Journey of Investigative Journalism was published. During his four-decade-long career, he delivered lectures on various subjects in training programmes.

As a responsible journalist, he not only highlighted societal issues but also played a positive role in promoting Pakistan’s soft image worldwide.

In recognition of his contribution to journalism, he has received numerous awards both in Pakistan and abroad.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025