Sitara-e-Shujaat ( ur, ستارہِ شجاعت, , Star of Bravery), sometimes spelled Sitara-i-Shujaat, is the second-highest civil award for bravery bestowed by the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. It is usually awarded to the Pakistani citizens such as civilians,

human rights defender A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing cam ...

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distin ...

or law enforcement officials for their bravery contributions to the

national interest The national interest is a sovereign state's goals and ambitions (economic, military, cultural, or otherwise), taken to be the aim of government. Etymology The Italian phrase ''ragione degli stati'' was first used by Giovanni della Casa around ...

of the country, and while the award seeks to recognize the "gallantry contributions", it is also awarded posthumously by the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

annually on the

Pakistan Day The Resolution Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Qarārdād), also known as the Pakistan Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Pākistān) and Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the M ...

. After a citizen's contribution to

security" \n\n\nsecurity.txt is a proposed standard for websites' security information that is meant to allow security researchers to easily report security vulnerabilities. The standard prescribes a text file called \"security.txt\" in the well known locat ...

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

and health among others is recognized, whether it is a government or non-government duty, the respective state governments prepares recommendation list to the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

for final approval. After it is sent to the government, the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

recommends or advises the awardees list to the president.

Announcement criteria

It is officially announced on the

Independence day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

and is presented annually on the Pakistan Day. Before it is awarded to the eligible individuals, it is sent to the

Cabinet of Pakistan Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Fil ...

by 15 April.

History

Sitara-e-Shujaat and other civil awards were established on 23 March 1956, nine years after the partition of the Indian subcontinent. It came into existence under the Article 259 (2) and Decorations Act, 1975 of the

constitution of Pakistan The Constitution of Pakistan ( ur, ), also known as the 1973 Constitution, is the supreme law of Pakistan. Drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, with additional assistance from the country's opposition parties, it was approved b ...

Iqbal Masih Iqbal Masih ( pa, اقبال مسیح; 1983 – 16 April 1995) was a Pakistani Christian child labourer and activist who campaigned against abusive child labour in Pakistan. He was assassinated on 16 April 1995. On 23 March 2022, he was pos ...

was honored with it on March 23, 2022.

References

{{Civil decorations of Pakistan Civil awards and decorations of Pakistan Awards established in 1957 1957 establishments in Pakistan