Country Pakistan First awarded 1957 | Presented by President of Pakistan | |
Awarded for In recognition of gallantry, academic distinction or distinction in the fields of sports or nursing. | ||
The Pakistan Civil Awards were established on March 19, 1957, following the proclamation of Pakistan as an independent republic on March 23, 1956. The announcement of civil awards is generally made once a year on Independence Day, August 14, and their investiture takes place on the following Pakistan Day, March 23. According to Article 259(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973, along with the Decorations Act 1975, the President of Pakistan confers civil awards on Pakistani citizens in recognition of gallantry. Awards for Pride of Performance are conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of art, literature, science, sports and nursing. The Pride of Performance and the Orders of Bravery (Shujaat) and Excellence (Imtiaz) are for Pakistani citizens only, but the remaining awards are open to all for eminence and outstanding services to Pakistan in a significant field of activity.
Contents
The Civil Awards comprise five orders, each with four descending categories: Nishan (Order; Urdu: نشان), Hilal (Crescent; Urdu: ہلال), Sitara (Star; Urdu: ستارہ) and Tamgha (Medal; Urdu: تمغہ), as follows:
Selection process
In December, the ministries 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 on Independence Day and investiture takes place on Pakistan Day.
Awards for foreign nationals
The President of Pakistan can confer awards to foreign nationals any time during the year. For such awards, proposals are made by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and approved by the President prior to conferral.
Order of civil decorations
The Pakistan Civil Awards consist of the following five orders: