President Zardari approves Hilal-e-Imtiaz for PPP leader Ali Haider Gilani

President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the conferment of Hilal-e-Imtiaz on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Ali Haider Gilani.

According to a statement issued by the President's House on Thursday, President Zardari granted the award on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, was abducted by militants on the outskirts of Multan on May 9, 2013.

He was reunited with his family amid jubilations and a sense of relief three years after his abduction from his hometown.

Ali Haider was freed by Afghan and US forces during a raid on an al-Qaeda cell in Afghanistan’s Paktika province in 2016.

Earlier, President Zardari approved civil awards for 104 Pakistani and foreign individuals in recognition of their services to Pakistan, coinciding with the country’s 77th Independence Day anniversary.

These awards will be presented on March 23, 2025, in fields including science, engineering, education, medicine, arts, literature, sports, social work, philanthropy, business, public service, bravery, and other distinguished services.

Among the recipients, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will be posthumously honoured with the Nishan-e-Pakistan for public service, while Arshad Nadeem will receive the Hilal-e-Imtiaz for his contributions to sports, Murad Sadpara will be awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, and Nasir Kazmi will be posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz in literature.