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Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Indians Who Received Pakistan's Highest Honors: From Former PM To Bollywood Legend
A political controversy erupted on Tuesday when BJP leader Amit Malviya questioned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's stance on Operation Sindoor, sarcastically asking if he was seeking Pakistan's highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan. The exchange has brought renewed attention to Indians who have actually received Pakistani civilian honors over the decades. The war of words began when Malviya criticized Gandhi for not acknowledging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in what he called a "flawless" military operation against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan's civilian awards system was established to recognize exceptional contributions to the nation or humanity. The Nishan-e-Pakistan stands as the highest civilian honor, equivalent to the military's Nishan-e-Haider, awarded for services of utmost distinction to Pakistan's national interests. Other notable awards include the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (second-highest civilian honor) for outstanding achievements in arts, literature, science, or public service, and the Tamgha-e-Pakistan for exceptional bravery or humanitarian service. India's fourth Prime Minister and first non-Congress leader to hold the office received Pakistan's highest civilian award in 1990, years after leaving office. Known for his strict Gandhian principles and non-alignment policy, Desai made significant diplomatic efforts to normalize relations with Pakistan following the 1971 War. His 1978 visit to Pakistan marked a significant thaw in bilateral relations. Desai's anti-war stance and rejection of nuclear weaponization, despite provocations, earned him recognition from Islamabad for keeping dialogue alive during tense periods. He remains the only Indian to receive both the Nishan-e-Pakistan and India's Bharat Ratna. The legendary actor, born Yusuf Khan in Peshawar, received Pakistan's second-highest civilian honor in 1998. Known as the "Tragedy King," Kumar's films like Mughal-e-Azam and Devdas enjoyed immense popularity in Pakistan, fostering shared cultural appreciation across borders. The award recognized his contribution to soft diplomacy through cinema and acknowledged his sentimental connection to his birthplace. His childhood home in Peshawar was declared a national heritage monument by Pakistan in 2014, though the award sparked debate in India during a period of heightened tensions. The Kashmiri separatist leader received the award for "bolstering support for Pakistan and his decades-long commitment to the Kashmir cause." Often described as the ideological force behind Kashmiri separatism, Geelani had been associated with Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir since the 1950s. A three-term MLA from Sopore and co-founder of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in 1993, Geelani advocated for a plebiscite in Kashmir throughout his political career. He passed away in 2021. The spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community received the most recent Nishan-e-Pakistan in 2023. As Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia in India, Saifuddin has been recognized for his global humanitarian work in education, healthcare, and interfaith harmony. His institutions, including a law school in Karachi and the religious seminary Jamia-tus-Saifiyah, represent cross-border engagement focused on social development rather than politics. Pakistan President Arif Alvi presented the award in Islamabad. Perhaps the most poignant honor was the posthumous Tamgha-e-Pakistan awarded to Indian flight attendant Neerja Bhanot in 1987. During the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi on September 5, 1986, Bhanot saved over 350 lives through her courageous actions. She alerted the cockpit crew, enabling their escape, hid American passports from terrorists, and helped passengers evacuate during the 17-hour ordeal. Bhanot was fatally shot while shielding three children during the final moments. She also received India's Ashoka Chakra, becoming the youngest and first female recipient of the nation's highest peacetime gallantry award. The current political exchange highlights how these awards often reflect broader diplomatic and cultural connections across the subcontinent, though they can become controversial during periods of heightened India-Pakistan tensions. While some view such honors as gestures of goodwill, others question their appropriateness given ongoing bilateral disputes.
India Gazette
12-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
India-Pakistan ceasefire brings relief as guns fall silent
Pakistani people celebrate after the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, in Multan, Pakistan on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Mansoor/Xinhua)NEW DELHI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- People living close to border areas and the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan Sunday woke up to a calm morning as guns have fallen silent four days after an incessant military uneasy calm has brought relief to people in both countries, especially those living on the boundaries between them.A ceasefire reached by the two neighbors seemed to be holding, despite the accusations of ceasefire violations from both after an announcement of a ceasefire on Saturday afternoon, loud explosions were heard in the Indian-controlled Kashmir."For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding arrived at earlier this evening between the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan. This is a breach of an understanding arrived at earlier today," India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during a briefing Saturday to Misri's comments, Pakistan expressed its commitment to the faithful implementation of the ceasefire agreement with India, despite an accusation of India's violations in some far, there have been no reports of firing or shelling from anywhere between the two people celebrate after the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, in Multan, Pakistan on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Mansoor/Xinhua)Reports from Srinagar and Jammu and neighboring Punjab and Rajasthan said calm has returned to the streets, and people were seen busy in their routine activities."Since early Sunday, there has been a calm here as well as on the frontiers, and this has brought a sense of relief and security. However, no one knows how long it will hold," said Amjad Hussain, a resident in Jammu. "One has to remain cautious. The past few days have been very chaotic and tense."On Sunday morning, shops started reopening, and people were seen resuming their daily chores."We are longing to go back to our hometown Uri. Yesterday's announcement was really a big relief," said Mumtaz Ahmad. "If everything remains peaceful, we would certainly go back tomorrow."Ahmad and his family relocated to Srinagar temporarily on Thursday after artillery shells rained on his neighborhood near the LoC in the frontier town of LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India- and Pakistan-controlled parts. The LoC is heavily guarded by the military on both Geelani, an author and expert on South Asia with a particular interest in India and Pakistan affairs, viewed the ceasefire as a big relief for the general population of the two countries."The escalatory ladder was signalling a devastating shift toward a more catastrophic situation, including the possible use of limited nukes, thus threatening peace, stability and security of the entire South Asian region," Geelani told Xinhua."It was very clear that world powers played a role behind the scenes to convince the two nuclear powers to consider de-escalation to give peace and dialogue a chance. The ceasefire is a big relief for the population living on the edge on both sides," Geelani people celebrate after the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, in Multan, Pakistan on May 10, 2025. (Photo by MansoorXinhua)India and Pakistan had targeted each other with missiles, drones and continuously resorted to fierce shelling in the frontier areas close to the border and the had also attacked each other's air bases during the skirmishes, thus flaring tensions to an even more dangerous use of missiles, drones, long-range weapons and loitering munitions by the militaries from both sides inflicted civilian casualties, besides damaging residential houses and other structures on both escalations had also forced the two countries to shut airports for civilian traffic, resulting in the cancellation of in the frontier areas were forced to leave their homes and look for safer between the two countries started on Wednesday after New Delhi carried out deadly airstrikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, thus evoking a strong response from airstrikes were undertaken to avenge last month's killing of 26 people by gunmen in Pahalgam, about 89 km east of Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled Delhi blamed Islamabad for supporting the gunmen, a charge denied by Islamabad.
