President Alvi confers Hilal-i-Pakistan on Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng

President Alvi on Monday conferred Hilal-i-Pakistan, the country’s second-highest civil award, on Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

An investiture ceremony was held at Aiwan-e-Sadar in Islamabad to do the honour, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other civil and military leaders.

The award was given to the Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is on a three-day official visit to Pakistan, to honour his role in the promotion of bilateral ties between Pakistan and China.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad on Sunday evening on a three-day visit to Pakistan.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Special Assistant to the PM on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi received the Chinese vice prime minister upon his arrival in the federal capital.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) earlier said that the Chinese vice premier will be in Pakistan from July 30 (today) to August 1 (Tuesday) at the federal government’s invitation to attend a ceremony celebrating a decade of CPEC as the chief guest.

It added that Lifeng would also hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Dr. Arif Alvi during the visit.

Lifeng as the chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission from 2017 to 2023, was “instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan”, the FO said.