On March 23, top civil and military people were honoured at the Civil Awards ceremony by the President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi. A total of 172 recipients including 18 foreigners were conferred awards and medals for their respective contribution to the country. Pakistani martyr of the terrorist attacks on Christchurch mosques, Naeem Rashid received an award for his heroic act of tackling the terrorist in order to save lives. Other prominent recipients were as follows:
1. Babra SharifÂ
Iftikhar Thakur with Babra Sharif
Pakistani veteran actress Babra Sharif has worked with the likes of Sultan Rahi, Waheed Murad and Shahid Nadeem. She was a popular star during the mid-70s and 80s. She received Sitara-i-Imtiaz at the ceremony.
2. Reema Khan
Having worked in 200 Lollywood films, Reema garnered fame for her stellar on-screen presence and was honoured with the Pride of Performance award.
3. Iftikhar ThakurÂ
Iftikhar Ahmed, who known by his pseudonym Iftikhar Thakur, has made a name for himself as an actor and stand-up comedian by working in many telefilms and stage shows in different languages including Urdu, Punjabi and Pothwari/Mirpuri. He received the Pride of Performance.
4. Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi
Kameez Teri Kaali, Pyaar Naal Na Sahi and Sab Maya Hai are just some of Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi’s popular tracks which went on to become super hits. Known as ‘Lala’, he is a folk icon of Pakistan and received Sitara-i-Imtiaz for his contributions.
5. Sajjad AliÂ
Amongst the few living legends of the country, Sajjad Ali is one of those gifted singers who wins your heart with every new melody. Whether it was his 1993 hit Babia or Tamasha ft. Bohemia (2017), his music has always been a fan favourite. He was conferred Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
6. Waqar YounisÂ
Former coach of Pakistan cricket team, Waqar Younis is another fast bowler who is held in the highest regard for his exceptional career as a cricketer. He has the second-best strike rate in Test Cricket as Dale Steyn holds the first place. Waqar received Hilal-i-Imtiaz.
7. Mehwish HayatÂ
In a span of 6 years, Mehwish Hayat has proven her mettle as an actress. From her debut performance in play Mere Qatil Mere Dildar (2013) to her recent performance as a voice artist in 2018 animated film 3 Bahadur: Rise of the Warriors, the star has created magic and wooed the audience with her prowess. She received Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by the president.
8. Nasir AdeebÂ
Screenwriter Nasir Adeeb received the Pride of Performance for his contribution to Pakistani cinema. He has more than 400 films to his name, the most recent being Bilal Lashari’s forthcoming The Legend of Maula Jatt which is slated for release on Eid ul Fitr.
9. Wasim AkramÂ
Popularly known as the ‘Sultan of swing’, Wasim Akram is deemed as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Owing to his 4 hat-tricks in international cricket, he shares the record of most international hat-tricks with Sri Lankan cricketer Lasith Malinga. He was honoured with Hilal-i-Imtiaz.
10. Shabbir JanÂ
The actor who has appeared in 33 television plays, Shabbir Jan was awarded the Pride of Performance at the Civil Awards ceremony.
11. Ishrat Fatima
Allah ka shukar hai pic.twitter.com/Mpy5zN0hFx
— Ishrat Fatima (@OfficialIshrat) March 23, 2019
The yesteryears newscaster Ishrat Fatima received Pride of Performance award for her contribution to journalism as PTV’s face from 1980s-1990s. She has previously received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz and the Nigar Award.
12. Arshad SharifÂ
Yes. Flashbacks….. pic.twitter.com/59mt9xijHR
— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) March 23, 2019
Considered one of the finest investigative journalists of Pakistan, Arshad Sharif was honoured with the Pride of Performance medal at the prestigious ceremony. A writer, photographer and journalist, he has previously received many accolades for his groundbreaking work.
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