| Civil awards and decorations of Pakistan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | In recognition of gallantry, academic distinction or distinction in the fields of sports or nursing. |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Presented by | President of Pakistan |
| First award | 1973 |
Civil awards and decorations of Pakistan are awards and decorations which are bestowed by theGovernment of Pakistan for acts of accomplishment benefiting the nation as a whole. It was established after theconstitution of Pakistan was passed in 1973. The announcement ofcivil awards is generally made once a year onIndependence Day, August 14, and their investiture takes place on the followingPakistan Day, March 23. According to Article 259 of theConstitution of Pakistan 1973,[1] along with theDecorations Act, 1975, thePresident of Pakistan confers civil awards on Pakistani citizens in recognition of gallantry. Awards forPride of Performance are conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields ofart,literature,science,sports andnursing.
Civil awards were incorporated into theconstitution of Pakistan following recommendation from then-Prime MinisterZulfikar Ali Bhutto.[2] Although Bhutto asserted that public service was a patriotic duty that did not require accolades and remarked that awards were unnecessary.[2] But his administration nonetheless led to the inclusion of Article 259, titled "AWARDS," during the constitutional drafting process. This article stipulates that citizens may only accept titles, honours, or decorations from foreign states with federal government approval and restricts the conferral of such recognitions by federal or provincial authorities, except that the President is authorized to award decorations for gallantry, academic distinction, or achievements in sports and nursing as provided by federal law.[2] Additionally, the article annuls all titles, honors, and decorations awarded by any authority in Pakistan before the law's commencement, unless awarded in recognition of gallantry or academic distinction.[2]
In December, theministries and their divisions are invited to recommend candidates to the Cabinet Division. Received nominations are considered by three awards committees after which final proposal is sent to the President for approval. After the President's approval, the announcements are made onIndependence Day and investiture takes place onPakistan Day.[3]
The President of Pakistan can confer awards toforeign nationals any time during the year. For such awards, proposals are made by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, and approved by the President prior to conferral.
The civil awards have been subject to criticism for its politicised nature since the1977 Pakistani military coup, with observers noting that awards are frequently granted or withheld based on political considerations.[2] From 2008 to 2013, thePakistan People's Party (PPP) was criticized for predominantly distributing civil awards to its ardent supporters.[3] This issue resurfaced in 2024 when SenatorMushahid Ullah Khan raised concerns about the nomination and selection processes for these awards.[3] Following his objections, a parliamentary panel expressed dismay at the lack of merit andtransparency in awarding civil honors to individuals for their achievements in literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science.[3]
The Civil Awards comprise fiveorders,[4] each with four descending classes:Nishan (Symbol;Urdu:نشان),Hilal (Crescent;Urdu:ہلال),Sitara (Star;Urdu:ستارہ) andTamgha (Medal;Urdu:تمغہ).[4]
Order Class | Pakistan | Shujaat(bravery) | Imtiaz(excellence) | Quaid-i-Azam*(leadership) | Khidmat*(service) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation: | Services in distinction of the state | Acts of heroism, courage in the face of danger and gallantry in saving life | Distinction in the fields of arts, literature, academia and business | For special merit or eminent services freely given | For long and meritorious services to nation-building, especially amongst the poor |
1. Nishan(Order) | Nishan-e-Pakistan(1) | Nishan-e-Shujaat(2) | Nishan-e-Imtiaz(3) | Nishan-e-Quaid-i-Azam(4) | Nishan-e-Khidmat(5) |
2. Hilal(Crescent) | Hilal-e-Pakistan(6) | Hilal-e-Shujaat(7) | Hilal-e-Imtiaz(8) | Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam(9) | Hilal-e-Khidmat(10) |
3. Sitara(Star) | Sitara-e-Pakistan(11) | Sitara-e-Shujaat(12) | Sitara-e-Imtiaz(13) | Sitara-e-Quaid-i-Azam(14) | Sitara-e-Khidmat(15) |
4. Tamgha(Medal) | Tamgha-e-Pakistan | Tamgha-e-Shujaat(17) | Tamgha-e-Imtiaz(18) | Tamgha-e-Quaid-i-Azam(19) | Tamgha-e-Khidmat(20) |
* Only awarded to foreign nationals.
Number in parentheses indicatesorder of precedence.