On the auspicious occasion of Pakistan’s 73rd Independence Day, President Dr. Arif Alvi conferred Pakistan’s Civil Awards to 184 Pakistanis and foreigners for extraordinary performance in their respective fields. Humayun Saeed, Ali Zafar, and Resham made it to the coveted list of the highest civilian awards, Pride of Performance.
Veteran actress Sakina Samo, who recently made news for successfully battling with Covid’19 is also included in the list of this prestigious award. The ceremony to hand out the awards would be held on 23rd March 2021, according to a Cabinet Division press release.
More honors bestowed
Apart from the Pride of Performance award, the civilian honors for artists include prestigious accolades such as Sitara-I-Imitaz, Tamgha-I-Imtiaz, and Nishan-I-Imtiaz.
Senior actors Bushra Ansari and Talat Hussain have been named for the Sitara-i-Imtiaz award. Bushra Ansari is a true veteran of the industry and has excelled in the fields of acting, hosting, and writing. Her contributions to the Pakistani television industry cannot be denied.
Media mogul Sultana Siddiqui is also conferred with the same accolade. Singing legend Abida Parveen has been conferred with the honorable Nishan-I-Imtiaz award. Comedienne and actress Zeba Shahnaz has been announced for the Tamgha-I-Imitiaz category along with comedian Majid Jahangir of 50-50 fame.
Impeccable careers
The recipients of the Pride of Performace Award have all had impeccable careers. Humayun Saeed made his foray into television production in the late 80s. Over the years Humayun has attained a position in the fraternity which many can just dream of. He has the biggest blockbusters to his name, be it celluloid’s Punjab Nahi Jaunga and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2, or the small screen marvel Mere Paas Tum Ho.
Ali Zafar is the youngest name from the entertainment realm this year to be facilitated with the prestigious award. Ali is a celebrated singer for the last two decades and has carved his own niche. He made his movie debut in Pakistan with the blockbuster Teefa In Trouble, which consolidated his stardom in the country.
Resham has been successful in her simultaneous film and television career over the last three decades. She has done more than a hundred films in her career. The Jeeva actress has been an active philanthropist and famously helped the victims of local floods in 2010.
Sakina Samo’s services to the industry have been recognized by the government when she was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 2011. Both as an actor and a director, Sakina Samo has worked on several projects in her career that spans over three decades. Her recent drama Darr Si Jaati Hai Sila got much critical praise and was hailed as an important drama based on a social issue.
