Pakistan awards top civil honour to Jordan's King Abdullah II

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has conferred its highest civil honour, Nishan-e-Pakistan, on Jordan’s King Abdullah II in recognition of his efforts to boost bilateral relations and promote peace at both regional and international levels.

The dignified ceremony was held on Sunday at Aiwan-e-Sadr, where President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers and senior civil and military leaders turned up to mark the occasion.

The event began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthems of both countries. President Zardari then formally decorated King Abdullah II with the Nishan-e-Pakistan, calling it a tribute to his commitment to stronger Pakistan-Jordan ties and his contribution to global and regional peace.

In a reciprocal gesture, King Abdullah II presented President Zardari with Jordan’s highest state honour.

The King concluded his two-day official visit to Pakistan and flew back after holding a series of high-level meetings. During the visit, Pakistan and Jordan agreed to take their cooperation to the next level and signed multiple memoranda of understanding in areas of mutual interest.

When King Abdullah II arrived in Islamabad a day earlier, President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received him at the airport with an exceptional welcome. He was later given a guard of honour at the Prime Minister House.