The Government of Pakistan had issued a list of 172 people for the civil awards that were presented by President Dr. Arif Alvi for their excellence in different fields in a ceremony on the occasion of Pakistan day on 23rd March.
This year, the prominent celebrities who received Civil Awards range from philanthropists and sportsmen to actors, singers, and television anchors.
Related: These celebs are getting awarded on the 78th Pakistan Day
Our favorite cricketing superstar, Wasim Akram received Hilal-i-Imtiaz for his flamboyant cricketing skills and for transferring those skills to the juniors for the love of Pakistan. He is currently the president of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) Karachi Kings. He took to Instagram to express gratitude for the accolade. He wrote, “Here it is, the award I would not have received without the love and strength of the people who believed in me right to the end. I’m am so grateful to accept this award and I am honoured that i could serve my country to the best of my ability.”
View this post on Instagram
His better half, the philanthropist Shaniera Akram also wrote a heartfelt note for her husband on getting an award of that stature. She penned, “He never really got a retirement but moments like this make it all worthwhile. Wasim Akram receiving the Hilal-I-Imtiaz for his contribution to Pakistan through his outstanding excellence in sport. What a proud moment. You have shown the world that if you work hard and believe in yourself, no matter what background you come from, that you can achieve anything. You are the proof that dreams really do come true. You have made us all so proud in the past and continue to do so today. Congratulations Wasim Akram you deserve it.”
View this post on Instagram
President Alvi has also presented pride of performance award to the veteran actress Reema Khan. She posted a photo of herself with her husband S. Tariq Shahab and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor thanking God, family friends, and fans.
View this post on Instagram
The man with an absolutely ecstatic voice, Sajjad Ali put up his photo on his official Instagram account with a caption that says, “I Dedicate this to all of My FANS.”
View this post on Instagram
One of the most objective and credible journalists of this era, Arshad Sharif, who has been winning hearts with his brave and non-partisan reporting and anchoring also received Pride of Performance award for his exceptional services in journalism sector. He took to Twitter to express his feelings on the occasion.
I am grateful to Allah Almighty to honour me to receive the #PrideofPerformance Award from President of #Pakistan
Humbled by the love my fellow #Pakistanis have given me as readers & viewers of my journalistic work.
My special thanks to family…— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) March 23, 2019
Our very own, Mehwish Hayat has also received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for her euphoric persona, captivating acting, magical voice and ebullient sashay on the ramp. The diva is famous for her surreal performance in Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani amongst others.
She posted a photo with her mother, holding the medallion and wrote such an emotional anecdote from the time when her mother used to take her to the studio. She wrote, “An eight year old girl went to the PTV studios holding her mother’s hand tightly. She was totally clueless about all the hustle and bustle going on around her. But she was equally fascinated by the lights, the cameras and the way in which everybody was hard at work including her mother who was an actress. Even as a child the wobbly sets amused her but she could see on the screens the magic being woven in that studio creating dreams for so many people. Yesterday that same little girl arrived at the Aiwan e Sadr holding tightly on to her mother’s hand equally bemused by her surroundings. That girl knows that she is blessed to be there receiving such a prestigious honour in the company of such distinguished people following in the footsteps of so many legends, so many of her own heroes. At heart she remains that simple little girl from Karachi who has been fortunate to live her dreams. Her journey from that PTV studio to the Awan-e-sadr has been a long one and by no means the easiest. But never in her wildest dreams did she see this recognition coming at such a tender age. Nor did she see the role she would go on to play in the revival of Pakistani Cinema and her contribution being acknowledged in this way…!”
View this post on Instagram
She went on to thank her family, friends, and colleagues in the Pakistani media fraternity. She also decided to share her accolade with “all the girls in Pakistan who have a dream” because, “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams turn into reality,” she continued.
Other celebrities to get the civil awards happened to be Babra Sharif, Shabbir Jan, Ataullah Khan Esakhelvi, Nasir Adeeb, and others.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
https://twitter.com/AttaullahKNiazi/status/1109769218256449537
Last year, legends like Junaid Jamshed, Asma Jahangir, Amjad Sabri, Misbah Ul Haq, Younus Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Khalid Anum and Qaiser Nizamani were awarded these awards amongst others.
Heartiest congratulations to all the recipients of the Civil Awards. More power to you all.
What are your views on the story? Have your say in the comments section below.