Nishan-e-Haider

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Nishan-e-Haider
Awarded by Pakistan
Type	Gallantry Award
Eligibility	Military only (Conferrable on all ranks)
Awarded for	"... to those who have performed acts of greatest heroism or most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger and have shown bravery of the highest order or devotion to the country, in the presence of the enemy on land, at sea or in the air ..."[1]
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
First awarded	First Kashmir War, 1948
Last awarded	Kargil War, 1999
Total awarded	10
Posthumous awards	all
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	(2) Hilal-i-Jurat (3) Sitara-i-Jurat (4) Tamgha-i-Jurat

Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu: نشان حیدر, translated as "Sign of the Lion", abbreviated as NH), is the highest military award given by Pakistan. It is posthumously awarded to military personnel for extraordinary courage and valour beyond the call of duty in face of adversity in defence of the motherland. There is no parralel to the Nishan-e-Haider in any military in the world because being killed in the line of duty is a condition-precedent for the award of Nishan-e-Haider. Its exlusivity may be guaged by the fact that in over 3 major wars and 1 major conflict fought by Pakistan, only 10 Nishan-e-Haider's have been posthumously awarded.

Contents 1 Origins 2 The Medal 3 Recipients 4 Trivia 5 Gallery 6 Notes & References 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Origins

According to Edward Haynes and Lukasz Gaszewski in their International Electronic Phaleristic Encyclopedia^[2], the medal is named after Hyder Naik^{[citation needed]} (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 bravery, courage, self-control, and exceptional service to the cause of Islam. However, according to the Combat Heritage of Pakistan Air Force^[3] the medal's name can be traced to the epithet "Haider" or "Haydar", Lion, commonly applied to the fourth Caliph of Islam.

[edit] The Medal

• 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 can only be awarded postumously to both men and women. The medal has been awarded to only ten military personnel even though Pakistan has been involved in three wars (1948, 1965, 1971) and a major conflict in Kargil with India during the summer of 1999.

The families of the recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider are entitled to 75 acres of agricultural land and government support for up to three dependents of the deceased soldier.

[edit] Recipients

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. To date, no living person has received the award.

1. Captain. Muhammad Sarwar (1910–July 27, 1948), 6/8 Punjab
2. Major Tufail Muhammad (1914–August 7, 1958), 1 Battlion East Bengal Regiment
3. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti (1928–September 10, 1965), 17 Punjab
4. Major Muhammad Akram (1938–1971), 4 FF
5. Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas (1951–August 20, 1971), PAF Training Squadron
6. Major Shabbir Sharif (1943–December 6, 1971), 6 FF
7. Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain(1949–December 10, 1971), 20 Lancers
8. Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz (1944–December 17, 1971), 15 Punjab
9. Captain. Karnal Sher Khan (1970–July 5, 1999), 27 Sindh
10. Havaildar Lalak Jan (1967–July 7, 1999), 12 NLI.

[edit] Trivia

District Gujrat has the most recipients, with, Sarwar, Tufail, Bhatti, Akram and Sharif being from that district. Rashid Minhas is the only non-army and the youngest recipient, while Muhammad Hussain is the only Private, and only non-infantryman to win it. The Punjab Regiment has four awards, with the Frontier Force two, Sindh and NLI one each, while the armoured corps and the air force have one each as well. The Baloch and Azad Kahmir Regiments do not as yet have a recipient. However, Captain Sarwars battalion is now in the Baloch regiment, and 27 Sindh was originally in the Baloch Regiment.

[edit] Gallery

Captain Muhammad Sarwar	Major Tufail Muhammad	Major Aziz Bhatti	Major Muhammad Akram
Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas	Major Shabbir Sharif	Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain	Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz
Captain Karnal Sher Khan	Havaldar Lalak Jan

[edit] Notes & References

[edit] See also

• Awards and decorations of the Pakistan military
• Hilal-i-Jurat
• Medal of Honor
• Pakistan Military

[edit] External links

• Nishan-E-Haider
• PAF Falcons - Heroes
• The Shaheed Foundation's list of recipients
• Its Pakistan webpage on military award recipients
• Article on Shabbir Sharif by Nasir M. Khan
• Article on Lalak Jan 'Dohat' by Nasir M. Khan
• Article on Rashid Minhas by PakMilitary.net

v • d • e Nishan-e-Haider Recipients 1948-1970 Captain Muhammad Sarwar (1948) · Major Tufail Muhammad (1958) · Major Aziz Bhatti (1965) 1971 Major Muhammad Akram · Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas · Major Shabbir Sharif · Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain · Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz 1972 to date Captain Karnal Sher Khan (1999) · Havaldar Lalak Jan (1999)

v • d • e Highest military awards for gallantry Current Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross (Argentina) · Hero of Belarus (Belarus) · Mannerheim Cross (Finland) · Légion d'honneur (France) · Param Vir Chakra (India) · Medal of Valor (Israel) · Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (Malaysia) · Military William Order (Netherlands) · Nishan-e-Haider (Pakistan) · Medal of Valor (Philippines) · Virtuti Militari (Poland) · Order of Michael the Brave (Romania) · Hero of the Russian Federation (Russian Federation) · Laureate Cross of St. Ferdinand (Spain) · Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (Sri Lanka) · Victoria Cross (United Kingdom • Australia • Canada • New Zealand) · Hero of Ukraine (Ukraine) · Medal of Honor (United States) Obsolete Military Order of Maria Theresa (Austria-Hungary) · Pour le Mérite (Kingdom of Prussia) · Military Order of Max Joseph (Kingdom of Bavaria) · Military Order of St. Henry (Kingdom of Saxony) · Military Merit Order (Kingdom of Württemberg) · Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Nazi Germany) · Order of the Golden Kite (Japan) · Vietnam Military Merit Medal (South Vietnam) · Hero of the Soviet Union (Soviet Union)

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