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Nishan-e-Haider

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Template:Military Pakistan

The Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu: نشان حیدر) (Sign of the Lion), is the highest military award given by Pakistan. It is awarded to select soldiers who display an incredible amount of valor and courage on the battle field in the face of staunch adversity.

Origins

File:Nishan-e-Haider.jpg
Nishan-E-Haider

According to Edward Haynes and Lukasz Gaszewski in their International Electronic Phaleristic Encyclopedia, the medal is named after Hyder Naik (1722-1782 CE), better known as Haidar Ali. Naik is said to have changed his name to Ali in honor of the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, owing to Ali's extreme bravery, courage, self-control and exceptional service to the cause of Islam. However, according to the Combat Heritage of Pakistan Air Force the medal's name can be traced to the epithet "Haider" or "Haydar", Lion, commonly applied to the fourth caliph.

It is not clear to what extent the medal can be said to be named after Haidar Ali, and to what extent it can be said to be named after Ali ibn Abi Talib.

The Award

  • Category: Operational (Awarded to members of the Armed Forces during times of conflict)
  • Definition: It is the highest gallantry award and holds seniority among civil and military awards. It is open to all ranks for acts of heroism/conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger or devotion to the country in the presence of the enemy on land, at sea or in the air.

The Nishan-e-Haider is not conditional to the gender of the recipient and neither to the nominatee for the medal being alive or deceased. The medal has been awarded to only ten soldiers despite Pakistan having been involved in three wars (1948, 1965, 1971) and a major conflict in Kargil during the summer of 1999.

Recipients

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Nishan-e-Haider recipients receive an honorary title as a sign of respect: Shaheed meaning martyr for deceased recipients and Ghazi meaning victor for living recipients.

  1. Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (1910–July 27, 1948)
  2. Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed (1914–August 7, 1958)
  3. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (1928–September 10, 1965)
  4. Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed (1938–1971)
  5. Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed (1951–August 20, 1971)
  6. Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed (1943–December 6, 1971)
  7. Jawan Sowar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed (1949–December 10, 1971)
  8. Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed (1944–December 17, 1971)
  9. Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (1970–July 5, 1999)
  10. Lalak Jan Shaheed (1967–July 7, 1999)
  11. Naik Saif Ali Janjua Shaheed, Hilal-e-Kashmir (equaliant to NH) (1922–1948)

References

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