Watch: Sanam Bhutto Gets Emotional as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Posthumously Awarded Nishan-e-Pakistan

Sanam Bhutto was moved to tears as she received the posthumously awarded Nishan-e-Pakistan to her late father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former Prime Minister and founder of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) the nation’s highest civilian honour.

The award was presented in recognition of his significant contributions to Pakistan, including drafting the 1973 Constitution, initiating Pakistan’s nuclear program, and securing the release of prisoners of war through the Simla Agreement. His only surviving child, Sanam Bhutto, emotionally accepted the award on his behalf.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s family has faced a tragic history. His three other children—Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto, and Shahnawaz Bhutto—met untimely and violent deaths. Benazir Bhutto, a two-time Prime Minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in 2007 during an election rally in Rawalpindi. Murtaza Bhutto died in a controversial police encounter near his residence in Karachi in 1996. Shahnawaz Bhutto passed away under mysterious circumstances in France in 1985, with suspicions of poisoning.

This series of tragedies has marked the Bhutto family’s legacy as one of resilience amidst profound loss.

On Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari honoured 69 individuals, including both Pakistani nationals and foreigners, with Pakistan’s civil awards in recognition of their exceptional contributions across various fields.

The investiture ceremony took place at Aiwan-e-Sadr, where distinguished personalities were acknowledged for their services in health, education, literature, journalism, public service, research, diplomacy, and the economy.

The ceremony was attended by the federal ministers, Senate chairman, parliamentarians, members of the civil society, diplomats, media and a large number of people.

The other recipients who were conferred with awards in different categories included:

Air Marshal (retd) Raja Shahid Hamid (late) Nishan-e-Imtiaz (posthumous), Sultan Ali Akbar Allana Nishan-e-Khidmat, SP Muhammad Ejaz Khan Shaheed Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), DSP Allama Iqbal Shaheed Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), DSP Sardar Hussain Shaheed, constables Irshad Ali and Jahnzaib Hilal-i-Shujaat (posthumous), Additional SHO Adnan Afridi Shaheed Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), SI Taimoor Shahzad Shaheed Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), LHC Mohammad Farooq Shaheed Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), Sepoy Muhammad Asif Shaheed Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), Allah Rakhio (late) Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous), Dr Tauqir Hussain Shah Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Capt (retd) Khurram Agha Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Ali Haider Gilani Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Khawaja Anver Majidd Hilal-e-Imitiaz,Hussain Daud Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Professor Dr Shaheryar Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Dr Zaryab Setna Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Javed Jabbar Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Mohtarma Sadia Rashid Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Aamir Hafeez Ibrahim Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Jimmy Engineer Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Umar Farooq Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Dr Naveed Shirwani Hilal-e-Imitiaz, Captain (retd) Hamza Anjum Shaheed Sitara-e-Shujaat (posthumous), Malik Sabz Ali Shaheed Sitara-e-Shujaat (posthumous), Muhammad Samiur Rehman Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Irfan Nawaz Mamon Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Sardar Muhammad Aftab Ahmed Khan Watoo Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Dr Hamid Ateeq Sarwar Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Ali Salman Habib (late) Sitara-e-Imtiaz (posthumous), Waqar ud din Syed Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Ayaz Khan Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Professor Dr Ziaul Haq Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Imtiaz Hussain Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Jameel Ahmad Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Syed Azhar Hasnain Abidi Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Zafar Waqar Taj Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Muhammad Hussain alias Murad Sadpara (Late) Sitara-e-Imtiaz (posthumous), Bahrose Hussain Baloch Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Sana Hashwani and Safinaz Muneer Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Naveed Ahmad Fareed Presidential Prize of Performance Award, Rashid Waheed Khawaja Presidential Prize of Performance Award, Mohtarma Aniqa Bano Presidential Prize of Performance Award, Barkat Shah Presidential Prize of Performance Award, Haydar Qurbonov Sitara-i-Quaid-e-Azam, Dr Christine Brunhilde Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Agostino Da Polenza Tamgha-e-Pakistan, Professor Valevia Piacentini Tamgha-e-Pakistan, Syed Shakeel Shah Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Ashhad Jawwad Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Amin Muhammad Lakhani Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Rehan Mahtab Chawla Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Syed Jawad Hussain Jafferi Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Professor Dr Usman Qamar Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Mohtarma Dr Sara Qureshi Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Dr Ikram Ullah Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Muhammad Yousaf Khan Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Sarwar Muneer Rao Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Hassan Ayub Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Dr Syed Abid Mehdi Kazmi Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Mir Nadir Khan Magsi Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and Dr Xinmin Liu Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam.