Pakistan Announces Civil Awards for 2026, Honouring 372 Individuals for Excellence, Service and Gallantry

ISLAMABAD, August 14, 2026: The President of Pakistan has announced the country’s Civil Awards for 2026, recognizing individuals for exceptional achievements, outstanding professional contributions, public service, courage and services to Pakistan.

The awards were announced on Independence Day, August 14, and will formally be conferred at an investiture ceremony scheduled for Pakistan Day on March 23, 2027.

According to the announcement, a total of 372 individuals have been selected for honours across a wide range of fields, including science, engineering, education, medicine, arts, literature, sports, journalism, social welfare, philanthropy, public service and gallantry. The list also includes foreign nationals and overseas Pakistanis who have been recognized for their services to Pakistan.

The 2026 honours include the Nishan i Imtiaz, Hilal i Imtiaz, Sitara i Imtiaz, Tamgha i Imtiaz, Nishan i Pakistan, Nishan i Quaid i Azam, Nishan i Khidmat, Hilal i Pakistan, Sitara i Pakistan, Sitara i Quaid i Azam, Sitara i Shuja’at and Tamgha i Shuja’at.

Among the prominent names recognized in the field of science is Dr. Shahid Mahmud, who has been selected for the Hilal i Imtiaz for his contribution to science and information technology. Prof. Dr. Syed Zafar Ilyas and Prof. Dr. Mudassir Asrar have been awarded the Sitara i Imtiaz, while several other scientists have received the Tamgha i Imtiaz.

The engineering sector has also been represented, with Dr. Muhammad Sadiq and Prof. Dr. Naeem ul Haq Tariq receiving the Tamgha i Imtiaz for contributions to engineering and metallurgy.

Education remains one of the largest categories in the awards list. Prof. Sheikh Imtiaz Ali, who is being honoured posthumously, has been selected for the Nishan i Imtiaz. Lt. Gen. (Retd) Moazzam Ejaz has been awarded the Hilal i Imtiaz for services in education and administration.

Several leading academics, researchers, administrators and education professionals have also been selected for the Sitara i Imtiaz and Tamgha i Imtiaz. The recipients include Prof. Dr. Muhammad Raza Shah, Prof. Dr. Khalid Masood Gondal, Dr. Rashid Amjad, Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qadir, Prof. Dr. Ghazala Yasmeen, Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, Prof. Dr. Faisal Bari and Prof. Dr. Sabiha Mansoor.

The medical community has also received significant recognition. Prof. Faisal Saud Dar has been selected for the Hilal i Imtiaz, while Prof. Dr. Tahir Shamsi and Dr. Naseem Salahuddin have received posthumous Sitara i Imtiaz awards. Prof. Dr. Syed Jamal Raza, Dr. Shah Khalid and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Khurram are among those receiving Sitara i Imtiaz honours.

A number of doctors and healthcare professionals have also been selected for the Tamgha i Imtiaz in recognition of their contributions to medicine, cardiac surgery and healthcare.

The arts category features a broad range of performers, musicians, actors, painters, theatre professionals and traditional artists. Ms. Sultana Siddiqi has been awarded the Hilal i Imtiaz for her contribution to production, while Nisho Begum and Iftikhar Ahmed Thakur are among those receiving the Sitara i Imtiaz for acting and comedy.

The list also recognizes contributions to Naat Khawani, singing, Sufi opera, painting, theatre, classical music, choreography, sculpture, visual arts, Qawwali, traditional crafts and cultural heritage.

A substantial number of artists have been selected for the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance, reflecting the government’s recognition of both established and traditional artistic disciplines. The recipients include performers and artists working in acting, music, painting, sculpture, Kashmiri embroidery, natural colour block printing, Qawwali, classical music and traditional crafts.

Literature is another major category in this year’s awards. Writer and poet Asad Muhammad Khan has been selected for the Nishan i Imtiaz. Ejaz Rahim and Muhammad Khurshid Ul Hasan Rizvi have received the Hilal i Imtiaz, while a number of writers, poets, scholars, novelists and researchers have been selected for the Sitara i Imtiaz and other national honours.

Among those recognized are Muhammad Shakeel Adilzada, Prof. Brigadier (Retd) Waheed Uz Zaman Tariq, Maqsood Hussain Jafri, Hashim Nadeem and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saleem Mazhar.

The sports community has also been included in the honours. Senior boxing coach Atta Mohammad Kakar and Dr. Waseem A. Tai have been awarded the Sitara i Imtiaz. Wrestler Bashir Bhola, shooter Kishmala Talat, squash player Noor Zaman, boxer Muhammad Waseem and several other sports personalities have received national recognition.

Journalists and media professionals have also been honoured. Muhammad Saleh Zaafir and Haji Nawaz Raza have received the Sitara i Imtiaz, while Syed Hammad Ghaznavi and Muhammad Amir Khan have been selected for the Pride of Performance. Several news anchors, journalists and media professionals have also been named for the Tamgha i Imtiaz.

The awards also recognize contributions to social welfare and philanthropy. Dr. Maryam Mallick and Nayyab Ali have received the Sitara i Imtiaz for social services and social work respectively. Several religious scholars have also been recognized, including representatives of minority communities.

The public service category contains the largest number of recipients. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Mohsin Naqvi, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema and Bilal Azhar Kayani have been selected for the Nishan i Imtiaz.

Engr. Amir Muqam, Fuad Asadullah, Mansoor Usman Awan, Imdadullah Bosal, Rashid Mahmood Langrial and several other senior officials have been awarded the Hilal i Imtiaz.

Dozens of government officials, administrators, law enforcement officers and public servants have been selected for the Sitara i Imtiaz and Tamgha i Imtiaz in recognition of their professional services.

The gallantry category carries particular significance, with numerous military personnel, police officers and civilians receiving national honours for courage and sacrifice.

A large number of individuals who lost their lives in the line of duty have been awarded the Sitara i Shuja’at posthumously. Among them are Nazakat Ali, Sepoy Muhammad Usman, Sepoy Mina Badshah, Sepoy Ibrar Ali, Sepoy Noor Ul Hasan, Sepoy Taza Gul, Lance Naik Muhammad Nazif and many other members of the armed forces and security services.

The list also includes police personnel and civilians recognized for acts of bravery. Additional recipients have been awarded the Tamgha i Shuja’at, while several individuals have received the Sitara i Imtiaz and Tamgha i Imtiaz for combined gallantry and public service.

The government has also recognized a number of foreign nationals for their services to Pakistan. Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak has been selected for the Nishan i Pakistan, while Dr. Jal Rattanji Patel and Dr. Jal Daeboo have been honoured posthumously with the Nishan i Quaid i Azam.

Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al Issa has been selected for the Nishan i Khidmat. Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Yousef bin Abdullah AlBenyan, Mohammed Al Tuwaijri, Deemah Al Yahya, Alexey Logvinovich Overchuk, Hiroji Kataoka and Miguel Angel Moratinos are among foreign recipients selected for the Hilal i Pakistan.

The list also includes prominent international figures receiving Sitara i Pakistan, Hilal i Imtiaz and Sitara i Quaid i Azam awards for their services and contributions to Pakistan.

Overseas Pakistanis have also been recognized in the 2026 awards. Muhammad Asad, posthumously, has been selected for the Nishan i Imtiaz, while Dr. Ghulam Murtaza, Prof. Ahmed Ali and Sardar Muhammad Ilyas Khan have been awarded the Hilal i Imtiaz.

Several other overseas Pakistanis have been selected for the Sitara i Imtiaz and Tamgha i Imtiaz, including Haji Khan Zaman Saroor, Muhammad Bilal Bhinder, Zahid Hussain, Lord Aamir Sarfraz, Allama Qazi Abdul Aziz Chishti, Dr. Sher Bahadur Anjum and Dr. Paul Jacob Bhatti.

The announcement on Independence Day places particular emphasis on the diverse contributions made by Pakistanis and friends of Pakistan across professional, cultural, academic and public spheres.

The awards are intended to recognize achievements that have contributed to national development, public welfare, professional excellence, cultural preservation and the country’s international standing.

The formal investiture ceremonies will take place on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2027, when the recipients or their designated representatives will receive the respective honours.

The 2026 Civil Awards list reflects the wide range of individuals who have contributed to Pakistan through science and education, medicine and literature, arts and sports, journalism and social welfare, public administration, philanthropy and acts of extraordinary courage.