Salmaan Taseer, Meera, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy to be decorated with civil awards

President had approved 189 civil awards in addition to military awards.

ISLAMABAD: High civil awards for Begum Nusrat Bhutto, former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, as well as for Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy among a other high profile people will be conferred by President Asif Ali Zardari on Republic Day.

Zardari has approved 189 National Awards (Civil), and a large number of awards for armed forces servicemen. Of these, the President will decorate 67 awardees himself at an investiture ceremony being held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday, March 23, 2012.

Of those awarded five are foreign nationals, including a Hilal-e-Pakistan for Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.

The Governor Punjab on behalf of the President will decorate 49 recipients of National Awards (Civil), at the investiture ceremony being held in Governor's House Punjab, Lahore.

27 recipients of National Awards (Civil) will be decorated by Governor Sindh, on behalf of the President, at the investiture ceremony being held in Governor's House Sindh, Karachi.

15 recipients of National Awards (Civil) will be decorated by Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, at the Investiture ceremony being held in Governor's House KP, Peshawar.

Governor Balochistan will decorate six recipients of the National Awards (Civil) at the investiture ceremony being held in Governor's House Balochistan, Quetta.

Governor Gilgit Baltistan will decorate one recipient of National Awards (Civil) the ceremony being held in Governor House Gilgit Baltistan, Gilgit.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will decorate 22 recipients of National Awards (Civil), on behalf of the President,at the Investiture Ceremony to be held later at JS HQ. As many as eight foreign nationals including one Pakistani expatriate will be decorated, by the heads of Pakistan missions located in the countries of respected recipients.

Among other prominent figures to be recognised include film actor Meera, Javed Sheikh, actors Nauman Ijaz, Qavi Khan among others. Musicians Sabir Hasan, Nafees Ahmed Khan will also be honoured. Sportsmen M. Ashraf Tai and Mohammad Yousuf will be decorated.

Among businessmen, Sultan Lakhani, Yahya Polani among others.

On the military side, Lieutenant Yasir Abbas, who was killed during he Mehran base attack, will be awarded an Imtiazi Sanad.

A complete list of civil awards can be viewed here.

A complete list of military awards can be viewed here.

Correction: Lieutenant Yasir Abbas's designation was incorrectly mentioned in an earlier version of this article. The correction has been made.