The Federal Government of Pakistan has officially made and sent the high level list of appointments of the top civil awards to President Asif Ali Zardari. The list comprises the Federal Minister for Finance, the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The recommendations recognise their outstanding public service efforts, strategic economic turnaround efforts and key fiscal reforms in the last two and a half years. Following established state traditions, the formal announcements were integrated into the national Independence Day honors list, while the grand investiture ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Pakistan Day, March 23.
Deputy PM Ishaq Dar’s Strategic and Diplomatic Breakthroughs
Senior government sources said that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has been nominated for one of the highest civilian awards in the state. The state’s reason for his nomination stresses his diplomatic and sovereign achievements:
The Makkah Accord: Ishaq Dar has been a key player in delivering a fundamental piece of frontline back-channel diplomacy that facilitated the signing of the historic Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Regional Stabilization: His foreign policy guidance was able to reshape economic relations and geopolitical dynamics with traditional partners amidst the turbulent geopolitical environment.
Sovereign Defenses & Advocacy: He advocated with vigor for sovereign rights on the Jammu & Kashmir and Palestine issues in international fora and in keeping with the directives of the United Nations Security Council.
Finance Minister’s Leadership in Economic Recovery
The nomination of the Federal Minister for Finance directly honors the team effort that successfully averted a sovereign default and guided the country toward relative macroeconomic stability.
He led the economic team in handling complex and sensitive negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral lenders.
Moreover, state figures show that the ministry’s monetary trajectory did not inspire trust and resulted in unprecedented foreign remittances from abroad Pakistanis that surged by $11.3 billion in two years. The stabilization of the national currency, steady inflation reduction, and record bullish runs on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) are cited as the core drivers behind his civil award nomination.
FBR Chairman Recognized for Tax Modernization and Customs Agreements
The inclusion of the FBR Chairman in the civil honors list highlights the government’s appreciation for aggressive automation, anti-smuggling drives, and broadening the tax net. Under his supervision, the revenue authority implemented structural modifications to modernize border management and domestic tax collections.
Key achievements driving his nomination include the enforcement of the progressive customs penalty framework under S.R.O. 136(I)/2026, which curbed intentional terminal delays and accelerated port clearances.
Furthermore, his administration was able to successfully conclude an agreement on the mutual administrative assistance and intelligence sharing with the Hong Kong Customs, which is a blow to the trade-based money laundering and tax evasion.
These civilian awards are designed not only to recognise the efforts of these high-ranking officials, but also to encourage the wider civil service to work towards transparency and national development, the Cabinet sources said.
