ISLAMABAD: Pakistan celebrated its 78th Independence Day on Thursday with a special emphasis on Marka-e-Haq — the recent armed clash with India — as the Presidency hosted a grand investiture ceremony to honour the nation’s most distinguished civil and military leaders.
President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Hilal-e-Jurat on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir for his leadership during one of the country’s most challenging times. The ceremony came against the backdrop of the Pakistan-India conflict, which saw New Delhi launch attacks inside Pakistan under the pretext of targeting militants allegedly responsible for the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In retaliation, Pakistan downed six Indian Air Force fighter jets, including three Rafales, and launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. The operation concluded after Washington brokered a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu also received the Hilal-e-Jurat for his role in leading PAF operations during the conflict.
A special diplomatic mission, led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, toured the United States, United Kingdom, and several European countries to present Pakistan’s stance and counter Indian propaganda. For his diplomatic efforts, Bilawal was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. The delegation included Hina Rabbani Khar, Sherry Rehman, Dr Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Tehmina Janjua, Bushra Anjum Butt, and Syed Faisal Subzwari.
During the ceremony, military honours were conferred on officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force for exceptional courage and sacrifice in Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. These included 8 Sitara-e-Jurat, 5 Tamgha-e-Jurat, 24 Sitara-e-Basalat, 45 Tamgha-e-Basalat, 146 Imtiazi Asnad, 259 COAS Commendation Cards, and 1 Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Military).
PAF Shaheens Recognised for Gallantry
Sitara-e-Jurat
- Wing Commander Bilal Raza, General Duty Pilot (GDP)
- Wing Commander Hammad Ibne Masood, GDP
- Squadron Leader M Yousaf Khan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Osama Ishfaq, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Hassan Anees, GDP
- Squadron Leader Talal Hassan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Fida Muhammad Khan, GDP
- Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Ashhad Amir, GDP
Sitara-e-Basalat
- Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Ehsan Ulhaq, GDP
- Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, GDP
- Air Commodore Attaullah Zeb, GDP
- Air Commodore Zia Aftab, GDP
- Air Commodore Muhammad Noman Ali Khan, GDP
- Air Commodore Ali Javed Hashmi, Engineer (Engg)
- Air Commodore Sajjad Haider, Air Defence (AD)
Tamgha-e-Basalat
- Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf (Shaheed), Engg
- Air Commodore Adeel Shahab Qureshi, GDP
- Air Commodore Farhan Zia, GDP
- Air Commodore Jehanzeb Burki, Engg
- Air Commodore Azhar Hasan, Engg
- Air Commodore Rana Ilyas Hassan, AD
- Air Commodore Syed Muhammad Kamran Abid, AD
- Group Captain Muhammad Salman, AD
- Wing Commander Wajeeh Ullah Mian, GDP
- Wing Commander Muhammad Shafaat Saeed, GDP
- Wing Commander Malik Rizwan-Ul-Haq Iftikhar, GDP
- Wing Commander Haider Ijaz, GDP
- Wing Commander Junaid Azam, GDP
- Wing Commander Awais Nazir, GDP
- Squadron Leader Jibran Rashid, GDP
- Squadron Leader Kashif Bashir, GDP
- Squadron Leader Hassaan Khan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Zeeshan, GDP
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Saad, GDP
- Squadron Leader Saad Arif, Engg
- Squadron Leader Aamir Ghafoor, AD
- Squadron Leader Muhammad Arqam Raees, AD
- Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Nouman Shafique, GDP
Refusal of Award
Senior journalist and The News Editor Investigations, Ansar Abbasi, declined the Marka-e-Haq Award, stating in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary that the honour belonged to the entire nation. He emphasised that he had done nothing extraordinary and had merely fulfilled his duty.
The day’s proceedings stood as both a commemoration of Pakistan’s independence and a tribute to those who defended the nation — on the battlefield, in the skies, and across the global diplomatic stage.
