Civil decorations of Pakistan

Civil decorations of Pakistan
Awarded for	In recognition of gallantry, academic distinction or distinction in the fields of sports or nursing.
Country	Pakistan
Presented by	President of Pakistan
First awarded	1957

The civil decorations of Pakistan were established on March 19, 1957, following the proclamation of Pakistan as an independent republic on March 23, 1956. The announcement of civil awards is generally made once a year on Independence Day, August 14, and their investiture takes place on the following Pakistan Day, March 23. According to Article 259 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973,^[1] along with the Decorations Act, 1975, the President of Pakistan confers civil awards on Pakistani citizens in recognition of gallantry. Awards for Pride of Performance are conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of art, literature, science, sports and nursing.

In December, the ministries and their divisions are invited to recommend candidates to the Cabinet Division. Received nominations are considered by three awards committees after which final proposal is sent to the President for approval. After the President's approval, the announcements are made on Independence Day and investiture takes place on Pakistan Day.^[2]

The President of Pakistan can confer awards to foreign nationals any time during the year. For such awards, proposals are made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and approved by the President prior to conferral.