Zubair Qureshi Islamabad
President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday conferred military awards on the serving and martyred personnel of the armed forces at the Pakistan Day investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
A total of 49 officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force received the military awards including the families of four martyred troops in the categories of Nishan-i-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, and Sitara-i-Basalat. Two foreign dignitaries from friendly countries were also among the recipients of prestigious awards.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, diplomats and senior official attended the ceremony.
The president conferred Sitara-i-Basalat on the martyrs of the Pakistan Army in recognition of their valour demonstrated while fighting terrorists in operation areas.
The Sitara-i-Basalat awards were received by the family members of the martyrs, including Major Shujaat Hussain (30 Baloch Regiment, martyred in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan); Captain Bilal Khalil (Army Medical Corps, martyred in Noshki, Balochistan); Captain Faheem Abbas (72 Punjab Regiment, martyred in Jani Khel area of Bannu); and Sepoy Muhammad Waqas (18 Frontier Force Regiment, martyred in North Waziristan).
President Alvi also conferred two prestigious military awards on the foreign dignitaries of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia recognizing their role and efforts in promoting and strengthening defence ties of their countries with Pakistan.
Commander of Bahrain National Guards Shaikh Mohammed Bin Salman Al-Khalifa was awarded Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Defence Attache of Saudi Arabia Maj Gen (Pilot) Staff Awad Bin Abdullah Alzahrani was given Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).
