# Nishan-e-Pakistan

Nishan-e-Pakistan (Urdu: نشانِ پاکستان, lit. 'Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan') is the highest civilian award of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is awarded to "those who have rendered services of highest distinction" to the national interest of Pakistan. Nishan is awarded to government officials and civilians, including citizens of Pakistan and foreign nationals. In the Pakistan honours system, Nishan-e-Pakistan is equivalent to Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military gallantry award. Established on 19 March 1975 under the Decorations Act, 1975, the award is not correlated to the rank or status of a person.
This award, including other civilian awards, is announced on Independence Day (14 August) each year and its investiture takes place on the following Pakistan Resolution Day (23 March) by the president of Pakistan. This award can also be awarded posthumously, and all the recipients are entitled to the post-nominal NPk.

## Grades

* (Nishan)
** Grand Cross with Collar
** Grand Cross
* Grand Officer (Hilal)
* Commander (Sitara)
* Member (Tamgha)

## Insignia

* Collar (Nishan)
* Sash (Nishan)
* Star (Nishan and Hilal)
* Badge (Nishan, Hilal, Sitara and Tamgha)
* Necklet/Bow (Hilal and Sitara)
* Medal (Nishan, Hilal, Sitara and Tamgha)

## Gallery

* The Nishan-e-Pakistan
* President Musharraf presenting the then Iranian President Mohammad Khatami with the Nishan-e-Pakistan
* In 2023, President of Pakistan Arif Alvi conferred the Nishan e Pakistan on His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin in a special investiture ceremony in Aiwan e Sadr, Islamabad.

## Recipients

| Year | Name | Field | Country |
| 1958 | Haile Selassie I | Emperor of Ethiopia | Ethiopia |
| 1960 | Hussein bin Talal | King of Jordan | Jordan |
| 9 November 1959 | Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi | Shah of Iran | Imperial State of Iran |
| 1960 | Queen Elizabeth II | Queen of the United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| 13 January 1961 | Josip Broz Tito | President of Yugoslavia | Yugoslavia |
| 1962 | Bhumibol Adulyadej | King of Thailand | Thailand |
| 7 December 1957 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | President of the United States | USA |
| 1 August 1969 | Richard Nixon | President of the United States | USA |
| 1982 | Suharto | President of Indonesia | Indonesia |
| 1983 | King Birendra | King of Nepal | Nepal |
| 23 March 1983 | Aga Khan IV | Leader of Ismaili Muslims | United Kingdom |
| 19 May 1990 | Morarji Desai | Prime Minister of India | India |
| 18 September 1992 | Hassanal Bolkiah | Sultan of Brunei Darussalam | Brunei |
| 3 October 1992 | Nelson Mandela | President of South Africa | South Africa |
| March 8, 1997 | Fidel Ramos | President of the Philippines | Philippines |
| 10 April 1999 | Li Peng | Premier of the People's Republic of China | China |
| 6 April 1999 | Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani | Emir of Qatar | Qatar |
| 21 April 2001 | Qaboos bin Said | Sultan of Oman | Oman |
| 1 February 2006 | King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud | King of Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia |
| 24 November 2006 | Hu Jintao | General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party President of the People's Republic of China | China |
| 26 October 2009 | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Prime Minister of Turkey | Turkey |
| 2009 | Emperor Akihito | Emperor of Japan | Japan |
| 31 March 2010 | Abdullah Gul | President of Turkey | Turkey |
| 22 May 2013 | Li Keqiang | Premier of the People's Republic of China | China |
| 21 April 2015 | Xi Jinping | General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party President of the People's Republic of China | China |
| 23 May 2018 | Fidel Castro | former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba former President of the Council of State of Cuba | Cuba |
| 19 November 2018 | Haris Silajdžić | Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosna and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 18 February 2019 | Mohammad bin Salman | Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia |
| 22 March 2019 | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister of Malaysia | Malaysia |
| 26 May 2019 | Wang Qishan | Vice President of the People's Republic of China | China |
| 23 June 2019 | Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani | Emir of Qatar | Qatar |
| 23 March 2020 | Daren Sammy | West Indiescricketer | Saint Lucia |
| 14 August 2020 | Syed Ali Shah Geelani | Hurriyat Leader | India |
| 5 November 2020 | Šefik Džaferović | Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 5 December 2023 | His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin | Leader of the Dawoodi Bohra Community | India |
| 23 March 2024 | Khalid bin Salman | Minister of Defence Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia |
| 3 October 2024 | Anwar Ibrahim | Prime Minister of Malaysia | Malaysia |