ISLAMABAD:
Like every year, this year too, scores of prominent Pakistanis and distinguished foreign citizens will be awarded the Presidential civil awards of March 23, the country’s Republic Day. This year’s list, however, includes many names which cause a stir about their eligibility for these honors.
After the list of this year’s recipients of these honors was finalized and now that there are only a few days left until these civil awards are handed out at a ceremony at the President’s House in Islamabad, there are also questions being raised about “who is chosen and why?”
Lacking full agreement in mind with the names chosen and yet struggling to understand the logic behind the list so composed, many political commentators and analysts argue that multiple names on the list of honors are there only because it can either be ‘an error of judgment’ or a case of ‘harvesting the fruits of political sweat’.
This possible scenario cannot bring any pride to the state or its leadership because, for such a listing, one normally neither commits an “error of judgment” nor are the fruits of any “political sweat” to be rewarded in such a manner by anybody in the name of the state. The correctness of this argument lies in the fact that these awards are apolitical in nature and shall reflect only the “impartial” readiness of the state to acknowledge those who served it best from home and abroad. A possible case of doing political favors to some, by giving out these awards will be in clash with what these annual honors are meant to reflect and prove.
Cabinet Secretariat and the President House mutually decide who deserves the official recognition through Presidential award. Country’s eminent civil servants, entrepreneurs, showbiz personalities, scholars, engineers, doctors and other professionals were expecting merit would prevail over nepotism this time-a tall claim that brought Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) government into power through last year’s elections. Contrary to their expectations, debate has been going on in the serious circles on selection of some names to be decorated this week.
How can government ignore the services of legendaries from different walks of life? Can those accuse and facing criminal cases in court be given high-status civil award? What criteria of selection has been adopted to recognize the services and performance of showbiz personalities?. These are common but serious questions from serious segments of society who have witnessed flouting of merit by successive governments, these serious cuticles in the country are questioning. Around one hundred and twenty-seven nominees from different walks of life have been selected for this year’s presidential awards.
A young actress Mahwish Hyatt is nominated for third highest award ‘Sitara-e- Imtiaz’. The actress Hyatt got fame performing on silver screen in a play ‘Meray Qatil Meray Dildar’. Soon she jumped into the film industry and gave good performance in different Pakistani films like ‘Na Maloom Afrad’, ‘Jawani Phir Nahin Ani’, ‘Actor in Law’, ‘Punjab Nahin Jaon Gi’, ‘Jawani Phir Nahin Ani 2’ and Load Wedding.
She also appeared in several Television plays in lead roles in her budding career. These include ‘Phir Chand pe Dastak’, ‘Mirat-ul-Aroos’, ‘Kabhi Kabhi’, ‘Ishq Mein Teray Kami Reh Gayi’ and Dil Lagi etc . Her fame aside, showbiz and public circles are questioning why the young actress was given preference over a number of legendaries.
They say people like Qazi Wajid, Rohi Bano, Fahmeda Riaz (Urdu Poet),Ali Ejaz, Javed Kodu, Asma Jahangir (social activist), Mansoor Ahmed (Hockey Olympian) Sharmeen (Women cricketer) were among the names who carried much higher credentials. Why these straight away ignored by the nomination team.
Similarly, another nomination for the high civil award that has broached debate in different circles is Karachi based business tycoon, the chairman AKD group. Aqeel Karim Dadehi is also nominated third highest civil award Sitara-e-Imtiaz for this year’s ceremony.
AKD group is among the leading brokerage house business groups of the country. It is said that the group has strong influence not only in business but in political clique.
Dadehi’s name came to limelight in local and international media as one of the accused in stock market manipulation scam involving billions of rupees. The anti-corruption watchdog, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Tauqir Sadiq a close relative of Jahangir Badar (late) former secretary general Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and former federal minister of petroleum and natural resources Dr. Asim Hussain, in the same high profile scam
The famous OGRA scam case is under trial in the NAB court of Justice Muhammad Bashir and the next hearing of this case is fixed on March 26, just three days after distribution of Presidential awards.
Questions are being raised that how any accused in criminal case may be conferred with the 3rd highest civil award of the country? Is it justified that an accused facing criminal case in accountability court and yet to be absolved of charges be decorated with one of the highest awards. The government should have waited till Dadehi got clean chit from courts of law, they said.
Another nomination being debated among the finalists of presidential civil award is Reema Khan (Actresses), who will be decorated with the civil award ‘Pride of Performance’ on historical occasion of this year’s Pakistan Day.
Some circles question what meritorious contribution for nation in Art and Culture is being made by this showbiz personality when compared with many other legends selection committee was finalizing the nominees for official recognition.
In the long list of final nominees there are several other names whose credentials are being questioned. However, there are many in the list who deserved to be decorated.
“I congratulate all the nominees selected for prestigious presidential civil awards and wish them all success”, remarked business tycoon, young lady entrepreneur Tara Azra Dawood, who is chief executive officer (CEO) of 786 Investment Limited.
