Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari conferred national awards to prominent civilian and military figures in recognition of their services to the nation in a grand ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on the occasion of Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Senate chairman, the National Assembly speaker, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Rana Sanaullah were awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was also conferred with Nishan-e-Imtiaz for effectively presenting Pakistan’s stance at the diplomatic level.

Field Marshal Asim Munir and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar were conferred the Hilal-e-Jurat, while Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

A special diplomatic delegation formed by the prime minister was also honoured. Senator Sherry Rehman, Faisal Sabzwari, Hina Rabbani Khar, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Bushra Anjum, Umar Farooq, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Musadik Malik, and Tariq Fatemi were awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz.

Pakistan Air Force pilots Wing Commander Bilal Raza, Wing Commander Hammad Ibn Masood, Squadron Leader Muhammad Yousaf Khan, Osama Ashfaq, Muhammad Hassan Anees, Talal Hassan, Fida Muhammad Khan, and Muhammad Ashhad received the Sitara-e-Jurat.

Martyrs were also honoured, including Lance Havildar Aamir Shiraz, Lance Naik Ikramullah, and Sepoy Adeel Akbar (Tamgha-e-Jurat). Sepoy Nisar Ahmed Shaheed was posthumously awarded the Sitara-e-Basalat, along with Lieutenant Generals Muhammad Asim Malik, Nauman Zakria, Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Syed Amir Raza, Shahid Imtiaz, and Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry.

The Sitara-e-Basalat was also awarded to Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz, Rear Admirals Abdul Muneeb and Faisal Amin, Major General Wajid Aziz, Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Ehsan ul Haq, Major General Kashif Abdullah, Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmad, Rear Admiral Shehzad Hameed, Major General Muhammad Jawad Tariq, and Major General Tajdeed Mumtaz.

Air Commodores Attaullah Zaib, Zia Aftab, Muhammad Nauman Ali Khan, Ali Javed Hashmi, and Sajjad Haider, along with Captains Asif Amin and Muhammad Haider Ali, also received the honour.