ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has honoured its senior military and civilian leaders for their role in Marka-e-Haq, the recent armed conflict with India.
President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the awards at a special investiture ceremony at the Presidency on Thursday.
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir received the Hilal-e-Jurat. He was honoured for leading the Pakistan Army from the front and decisive win against India. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu was conferred with the Hilal-e-Jurat in recognition of his leadership and operational excellence.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf were given the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. DG ISI Lt Gen Asim Malik received the Sitara-e-Basalat. DG Military Operations Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah, Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Rear Admiral Shehzad Hameed were awarded the Tamgha-e-Basalat.
Marka-e-Haq victory
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which killed 26 people.
India blamed Pakistan-based elements for the assault but provided no evidence. Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly denied the Indian allegations.
The Pakistan Armed Forces conducted Operation Bunyanum Marsoos on May 10 as part of the military operation ‘Marka-e-Haq’ in response to the Indian military’s attacks that began on the night of May 6 and 7, resulting in the loss of innocent civilian lives, including women, children, and the elderly.
The confrontation erupted on May 6–7 as India launched its attack against Pakistan, which spiralled into the gravest military clash between the South Asian neighbours in decades.
Despite repeated warnings from the Pakistani government, India, fuelled by its media’s war-driven rhetoric, continued provocative actions, including frequent drone incursions, which ultimately prompted Pakistan to retaliate.
Pakistan intercepted multiple BrahMos supersonic missiles before launching the military operation on May 10, deploying its Al-Fatah missile system and targeting multiple Indian military installations.
Key targets included BrahMos storage facilities at Beas and S-400 air defence systems at Adampur and Bhuj.
Moreover, the Pakistan Air Force shot down six Indian jets, including French Rafale, and carried out strikes on several Indian airbases. Following these developments, India requested intervention from US President Donald Trump, which ultimately led to a ceasefire agreement between the two nuclear-armed neighbours on May 10.
Civilian leaders awarded
Several civilian leaders were also honoured. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.
Other awardees included Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Ahsan Iqbal, Sherry Rehman, Faisal Sabzwari, Musadik Malik, Hina Rabbani Khar, Tariq Fatemi, and Khurram Dastgir Khan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Tehmina Janjua, Bushra Anjum Butt and Syed Faisal Subzwari.
