Pakistan to confer highest civilian award to Syed Ali Geelani

Pakistan is all set to confer Nishan-e-Pakistan, its highest civilian award, to Syed Ali Geelani, 90, noted Kashmiri resistance leader.

The country’s upper house of parliament has unanimously passed a resolution lauding the “relentless” struggle of Geelani.

The resolution, jointly moved by both the government and opposition benches, commended the ailing leader’s “unwavering commitment, dedication, perseverance and leadership.”

The Senate recommended the government to confer upon Geelani, Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country’s highest civil award, for his struggle to settle the dispute in the light of UN resolutions.

“Include the life and struggle of Syed Ali Shah Gilani in the educational curriculum at federal and provincial level and mobilise world conscience to help Gilani get best available treatment at a place of his choice,” the resolution read.

Nishan-e-Pakistan is conferred by the president of Pakistan in a glittering investiture ceremony in Islamabad.

Previous recipients of the prestigious award include Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro.

Gulf News was the first to break news around the development in an op-ed article on July 8, 2020.

Pakistan government is also likely to name a proposed university in Islamabad after Geelani.

The resolution, adopted unanimously, demanded that the story of the Kashmiri leader’s life be included in the school curriculum at the national and provincial levels.

Last month, Geelani, the senior-most resistance leader in Kashmir, resigned from the Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of separatist groups in the Valley.