While civil awards are announced annually on Pakistan Day, I, as a citizen, have certain concerns regarding the abundance of awards and the transparency of the selection process. Particularly, questions arise about awards granted to certain favoured officers within the civil bureaucracy.

Some of my concerns are as follows: There is a lack of clarity on what criteria determine the appropriate award for an individual. For example, in the case of a former PPP premier, was his role as a Civil Martial Law Administrator taken into account before awarding him the Nishan-e-Pakistan?

Awards to civil bureaucrats appear unjustified in instances where no exceptional performance is evident.

The composition of the selection committee remains unknown, and it is unclear which competent authority approved its formation.

Many awards were given at the provincial level—was the Parliament, a Parliamentary Committee, or the Council of Common Interests (CCI) involved in the selection process?

I urge the Cabinet Division to clarify these concerns to maintain transparency and public trust.

IBN E SADIQ,

Islamabad.