Pakistan to confer civil award on Ali Baba founder Jack Ma

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will confer civil awards on four Chinese nationals, including philanthropist and founder of e-commerce giant Ali Baba Jack Ma, for their services towards the country.

The President House on Friday announced the names of 184 Pakistani and foreign nationals who would be conferred civil awards for showing excellence and courage in their respective fields.

Jack Ma had donated face masks, test kits, protective gear and forehead thermometers to Pakistan earlier this year to support the country’s fight against the coronavirus.

According to a handout issued by the cabinet secretariat, the president granted Nishan-i-Imtiaz to seven persons; Hilal-i-Imtiaz to two persons; Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam to four; Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam to one; Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam to six; Sitara-i-Pakistan to two; Sitara-i-Shuja’at to 24; Sitara-i-Imtiaz to 27; President’s Award For Pride Of Performance to 44; Sitara-i-Khidmat to one; Tamgha-i-Pakistan to one; Tamgha-i-Shuja’at to 23; Tamgha-i-Imtiaz to 46 and Tamgha-i-Quaid-i-Azam to one person.

Noted artist Saqiquen Naqvi, Ahmed Faraz, Zahoorul Haq, Muhammad Jameel Khan, Dr Jameel Jalbi, folk singer Abida Parveen and Zahoorul Haq will be awarded Nishan-i-Imtiaz.

Religious scholar and preacher Maulana Tariq Jameel will be awarded the President's Award of Price of Performance.

Bushra Ansari, Talat Hussain, Farooq Qaiser, Naeem Bukhari and cricketer Abdul Qadir (late) will be conferred Sitara-i-Imtiaz.

Sakeena Samon, Naimat Sarhadi, Humayun Saeed, Ali Zafar and Pashto singer Mahjabin Qazalbash are among those selected for President’s Award of Price of Performance.

The investitures ceremony for the said awards would be held on March 23, 2021.