# Sitara-i-Imtiaz

The Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Urdu: ستارہِ امتیاز, lit. 'Star of Excellence') also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavours".
This award is not limited to the citizens of Pakistan, and it can also be awarded to foreign citizens based on their achievements and services done to the State of Pakistan (see Władysław Turowicz). While, it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military officers of the Pakistan Defence Forces worn on their uniform for recognition of their services to the country. Like other awards, it is a highly restricted and prestigious award only given to those who have done great services to the country. It is one of the most distinguished civil decorations to the civilians who have made outstanding contribution in their respected fields such as literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science, which prompted the recognition of the country on international level.
It is given to a person who has accomplished duty beyond what is assigned to him/her. To receive this honour, the individuals are expected to show eminence and be outstanding in providing excellent service in a significant field of activity beyond what they are assigned to.
For officers in the military, it is given after distinguished service, and is also the highest medal that can be awarded to those at the rank of Brigadier-General or Major-General in the (Army), Air-Commodores or Air Vice-Marshals in the (Air Force) and Commodore or Rear-Admiral in the (Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines).
The Parliament's Committee for Award and Recognition Services for State of Pakistan, selects the names of individuals and sends final report to the Prime minister of Pakistan. On advice of the Prime minister, the President organizes a colourful ceremony that is telecast and broadcast by the Pakistan Television Corporation. The award is usually given to individuals one by one and not in groups because the whole purpose of the award is to assess the recipient's individual capabilities in par excellence.
The award is a disc of golden Jasminum which stands between two and five points of the star, and is also of pure gold. The star is in the form of a five pointed star, with additional bright coloured Jasminum filling in space between points of the star. In the middle of the star, a well polished green emerald circumference fills the inside of the golden star. A smaller golden star is situated in the middle of the emerald field.
A special grade of the medal/award has larger execution of the same medal design worn as a star on the left chest. In addition, it is worn as a sash on the right shoulder, with its rosette (yellow with white (for civilians) or/ green (for military officers only) with white and yellow edge, bearing the central disc of the medal at its centre, resting on the left hip.
At the formal ceremony, both medals can be worn at the same time depending upon the individual's achievements. The medal is suspended on a ribbon, dark green colour with a light yellow and white central stripe with white edge stripes.

## Grades of the Order of Imtiaz

This award is the 3rd Grade in the Order of Imtiaz (Excellence). The four Grades in the Order of Imtiaz are:
* Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence; Urdu: نشانِ امتیاز)
* Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence; Urdu: ہلالِ امتیاز)
* Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence; Urdu: ستارہ امتیاز)
* Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence; Urdu: تمغہِ امتیاز).
ORDER OF IMTIAZ (CIVILIAN) :
| Nishan-e-Imtiaz | Hilal-e-Imtiaz | Sitara-e-Imtiaz | Tamgha-e-Imtiaz |
ORDER OF IMTIAZ (MILITARY) :
| Nishan-e-Imtiaz | Hilal-e-Imtiaz | Sitara-e-Imtiaz | Tamgha-e-Imtiaz |

## Service Ribbon Insignia

The ribbon for the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Civilian) is:
* Yellow with a white centre band and a narrow Pakistan Green stripe in the middle.
The ribbon for the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) is:
* White edges with Pakistan Green band on each side, two equal white stripes separated by an equal sized Pakistan Green stripe in the middle.

## Recipients of Sitara-e-Imtiaz
### 1950s

* Lieutenant Colonel Shaukat Syed (1959)

### 1960s

* Muhammad Enamul Huq (Bangladesh) (1962)
* Ahmad Hasan Dani (archaeologist, historian, and linguist)

### 1980s

* Dr. Ghulam Abbas Miana (1987, Chemistry)
* Farman Fatephuri (Linguist, Writer, Poet and Editor) (1985)
* Khwaja Khurshid Anwar (film music director and musicologist) (1980)
* Brig. General Mian Muhammad Afzaal CGS (Shaheed) (later Lt. General) (1980)
* Professor S. Muhib ur Rab (1980)
* Brig. Muhammad Salim (Army Medical Corps)
* Munier Choudhuri
* Ghulam Ali (Singer)
* A. R. Kemal (Economist)
* Sayed Nafees al-Hussaini (Calligrapher)
* Allama Ghulam Mustafa Qasmi ( Islamic Scholar )
* Maulana Shamsul Haq Afghani (1980)
* Ayub Khan Ommaya (1981)
* A.Q Mughal
* Israr Ahmed (Islamic scholar & philosopher )1981

### 1990s

* Prof. Misbah-Ud-Din Shami (1990), Crystallography
* Salim Mehmud (1990), significant contributions to SUPARCO
* William Brown, Pakistan Army
* Bapsi Sidhwa (writer) (1991)
* Jansher Khan (squash player) (1993)
* Shamsul-hasan Shams Barelvi (1995)
* Group Capt Dr Muhammad Aslam Butt PAF (1997) For significant contribution to Science & Engineering Education).
* Wazir Agha (writer)
* Abdul Majid (1999), significant contributions to SUPARCO
* Talib Jauhari ( poet, philosopher, Muslim scholar of Shiite sect and orator )
* Munir Niazi (poet)
* Professor Iqtedar Hussain Bhatti (1999)

### 2004

* Mr Iftikhar Ahmad, PSP, (DIG Police, Multan) (Punjab)
* Riazul Islam (Historian)
* Professor M. Sultan Farooqui
* Professor Kazi Abdul Shakoor
* Professor Faiz Muhammad Khan
* Professor Dr. Manzoor Hussain Khan (Engineering/Metallurgy & Material Education)

### 2005

* Inzamam ul Haq (Former Test Captain) in 2005

### 2006

* Liaquat H. Merchant (Banking Litigation, Services rendered in health and education sectors)
* Mohammad Hussain Dadabhoy (2006)
* Dr Faiz Mohammad Khan (2006)
* Sultan Ali Allana (2006)

### 2007

* A. R. Kemal
* Brig. Muhammad Mansur Aslam

### 2008

* Azhar Mahmood (Federal Investigation Agency, Director FIA).

### 2009

* Brig. Ali Nasre Alam
* Brig Sohail Ahmed Qureshi
* Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
* Ayesha Jalal
* Asad Umar

### 2010

* Rahimullah Yusufzai
* Muhammad Amjad Saqib

### 2011

* Rao Maaz Khalid (Car Enthusiast)
* Rear Admiral Moazzam Ilyas
* Saeed Akhtar (Portrait Painter)
* Dr.Engr.M.P.Gangwani (Bureaucrat & Social Worker)
* Mohammad Yousuf (Former Test Player) in 2011
* Siraj ul Haq Memon (literature and journalism)

### 2012

* Aslam Azhar (pioneer of Pakistan Television Corporation)
* Mohammad Qavi Khan
* Shaista Zaid (English newscaster - Pakistan Television Corporation))

### 2015

* Prof. Dr. Shahid Mahmood Baig (Science: Genetic Disorders in Pakistan)
* Niaz Ahmad Akhtar (Education: Engineering & Technology)
* Asif Mahmood Jah
* Masood Ashar, (Literature)
* Zahid Pervaiz, (Public Service)
* Col(R) Ayyaz Nasir
* Yasmin Tahir (Arts: Compering)
* Umar Saif (Education: Information Technology)
* Mujahid Kamran (Education)
* Rahat Ali Khan (Music: Classical & Semi Classical International Singer)
* Saeed Ajmal (Sports: Cricket)
* Abdul Rashid Seyal (Public Service)
* Muhammad Parvez Masud (Social Services)
* Muhammad Younas Sheikh (Social Work)

### 2016

| Hafeez ur Rehman Hoorani | Science (Physics) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Iqbal | Science (Biotechnology) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Aslam Noor | Science (Mathematics) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Tariq Mahmood Fatik | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Munir Ahmad | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Ghulam Sarwar | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nadeem Ghaffar | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Brig (R) Munawar Hussain | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Aleem Arshad | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Ayaz Ayub | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Khalid Naseeruddin Shaikh | Engineering | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Nayyar Ali Dada | Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Syed Ather Enam | Medicine | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Mahboob Ali | Medicine | |
| Eice Muhammad | Medicine | |
| Mrs. Shahnaz Wazir Ali | Education | |
| Mohammad Rasul Jan | Science | KPK, Pakistan |
| Mohsin Raza | Arts (Music) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Dr Shahbaz Malik | Literature | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Mustansar Hussain Tarar | Literature | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Yussuf Shaheen Daudpota | Literature | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Halil Toker | Literature | Turkey |
| Luca Maria Olivieri | Services to Pakistan | Italy |
| Nergis Mavalvala | Services to Pakistan | USA |
| Yang Wei | Services to Pakistan | China |
| Mushtaq Chhapra | Public Service | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Mian Ijaz ul Hassan | Art | Punjab, Pakistan |

### 2017

* Raees Ahmed (arts, sitar)
* Yang Wei (China)
* Mustansar Hussain Tarar (travelogue writer, novelist)
* Hafeez-ur-Rehman Hoorani (Physics)
* Muhammad Iqbal (Biotechnology)
* Muhammad Aslam Noor (Mathematics)
* Tariq Mahmood Fatik (Engineering)
* Munir Ahmad (Engineering)
* Ghulam Sarwar (Engineering)
* Nadeem Ghaffar (Engineering)
* Brig (R) Munawar Hussain (Engineering)
* Aleem Arshad (Engineering)
* Ayaz Ayub (Engineering)
* Khalid Naseeruddin Shaikh (Engineering)
* Nayyar Ali Dada (Engineering)
* Syed Ather Enam (Medicine)
* Dr Mahboob Ali (Medicine)
* Eice Muhammad (Medicine)
* Mrs. Shahnaz Wazir Ali (Education)
* Mohammad Rasul Jan (Science)

### 2018

* Zia Chishti (entrepreneur)
* Ashar Aziz
* Saira Afzal Tarar
* Ashtar Ausaf Ali
* Zahid Bashir
* Shahzad Roy
* Sarfraz Ahmed (cricketer)
* Shahid Afridi
* Misbah-ul-Haq

### 2019

| Shahzad Nasim | Services to Pakistan | Singapore |
| Zaid Ahmed Al-Muhaisen | Services to Pakistan | Jordan |
| Prof. Javed Iqbal | Services to Pakistan | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Asif Mahmood | Services to Pakistan | USA |
| Najeeb Ullah Ghauri | Services to Pakistan | USA |
| Pavel Bem | Services to Pakistan | Czech Republic |
| Selamic Kilic | Services to Pakistan | Turkey |
| Berislav Gaso | Services to Pakistan | Croatia |
| Zia Aftab | Engineering (Electronics) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Safdar Moavia | Engineering (Mechanical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Rehan Majid | Engineering (Mechanical/ Aerospace) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Rizwan Hussain | Science (Chemistry) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Abdul Qayyum | Engineering (Mechanical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Ilyas | Engineering (Mining) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Arshad Saleem Bhatti | Science (Physics, Nano-Science & Nanotechnology) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Ayub Sabir | Education | KPK, Pakistan |
| Kamran Vasfy | Academic Distinction (Medicine/Destist) | |
| Asrar Ahmad (Ibne Safi) (late) | Literature | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani | Public Service | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Allam Razi Jafar Haqvi | Public Service | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Javed Afridi | Public Service | KPK, Pakistan |
| Ahmedullah | Public Service (Highest Tax Payer) | |
| Rehan Hassan | Public Service (Highest Tax Payer) | |
| Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal | Public Service | |

### 2020

| Brigadier (R.) Tahir Ali Syed | Pakistan Army (Military) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Abdul Hamid | Science (Physics) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Raja Shahid Nazir | Engineering (Mechanical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Abdul Majeed Tilokar | Engineering (Metallurgy) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Sajid Baloch | Engineering (Electronics) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Naeem Ullah Dar | Engineering (Mechanical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Haider Ali Bhatty | Engineering (Aerospace) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Saleem | Engineering (Chemical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Amin Bahadur | Engineering (Mechanical) | KPK, Pakistan |
| Faizan Mansoor | Engineering (Nuclear Safety Regulation) | (Islamabad) |
| Muhammad Aniq | Engineering (Civil) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui (Late) | Education | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Farhan Saif | Education | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Ms. Bushra Ansari | Arts (Acting) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Talat Hussain | Arts (Acting) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Imran Qureshi | Arts (Miniature/Painting) (Punjab) | |
| Ms. Sultana Siddiqui | Arts (Drama Writer/Director/Producer) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Syed Farooq Qaiser | Arts (Puppeteer/Writer) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Naeem Altaf Bukhari | Arts (Anchorperson) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Abdul Qadir (Late) | Sports (Cricket) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Sr. Ruth Lewis (Late) | Public Service | |
| Brig. Rana Arfan Shakeel Ramay | Public Service | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Col. Sarwar Sultana | Public Service | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Khalid Mahmood | Public Service | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Ms. Sabina Khatri | Public Service | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Ahmed Irfan Aslam | Public Service | |
| Adnan Asdar Ali | Philanthropy | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Pir Syed Lakht e Hassanain | Philanthropy | Punjab, Pakistan |

### 2021

| Muhammad Masood ul Hassan | Science (Physics) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Syed Hussain Abidi | Science (Industrial Biotechnology) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Aslam Umer | Engineering (Mechanical) | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Tariq Hameed | Engineering (Nuclear) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Shahzad | Control Design System | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Syed Waqar Azim | Engineering (Mechanical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Naveed ur Rehman | Avionics & Aerospace | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Muhammad Iqbal System Engineering | Punjab, Pakistan | |
| Arshad Nawaz Khan | Engineering (Chemical) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Ms. Abida Riaz Shahid Alias Nelo (late) | Art (Acting) | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Rashid Ali Rana | Fine Arts | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Shahid Abdullah | Architect | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Syed Akeel Bilgrami | Architect | Sindh, Pakistan |
| Salman Iqbal | Sport (Services to Cricket) | |
| Maj. Gen. Arshad Naseem | Public Service | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Ms. Roshan Khursheed Bharucha | Social Work | |
| Mehmood ul Haq Alvi (late) | Philanthropist | |
2023
* Babar Azam Pakistani Cricketer
* Brig (R) Nasir Khan Jadoon
2025
* Asif Bashir Pakistani Rescue Hero