Decorations and Medals of Pakistan

Decorations and Medals of Pakistan

Page updated: Dec. 20, 2009

		Order of Haider (Nishan-e-Haider) (NH) (1957)
Order of Bravery (Nishan-e-Shujaat) (NSt) (1957/86)	Order of Excellence (Nishan-e-Imtiaz) (NI) (1957/86) (military)	Order of Excellence (Nishan-e-Imtiaz) (NI) (1957/86) (civilian)	Crescent of Courage (Hilal-e-Jur'at) (HJ) (1957)	Crescent of Bravery (Hilal-e-Shujaat) (HSt) (1957/86)
Crescent of Excellence (Hilal-e-Imtiaz) (HI) (1957/86) (military)	Crescent of Excellence (Hilal-e-Imtiaz) (HI) (1957/86) (civilian)	Star of Courage (Sitara-e-Jur'at) (SJ) (1957)	Star of Bravery (Sitara-e-Shujaat) (SSt) (1957/86)	Star of Excellence (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) (SI) (1957/86) (military)
Star of Excellence (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) (SI) (1957/86) (civilian)	President's Award for Pride of Performance (1978/83)	Star of Good Conduct (Sitara-e-Basalat) (SBt) (1957/86)	Medal of Courage (Tamgha-e-Jur'at) (TJ) (1957)	Medal of Bravery (Tamgha-e-Shujaat) (TSt) (1957/86)
Medal of Excellence (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) (TI) (1957/86) (military)	Medal of Excellence (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) (TI) (1957/86) (civilian)	Medal of Good Conduct (Tamgha-e-Basalat) (TBt) (1957/86)	Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM) (1951?/86)	President's Police Medal (PPM) (1954/86)
President's Medal for Technology	Mention in Despatches (Imtiazi Sanad) (IS) (1957)	General Service Medal (Tamgha-e-Diffa) (1947)	War Star, 1965 (Sitara-e-Harb, A.H.1385)	War Star, 1971 (Sitara-e-Harb, A.H.1391)
War Medal, 1965 (Tamgha-e-Jang, A.H.1385) (w. Imtiazi Sanad - IS)	War War Medal, 1971 (Tamgha-e-Jang, A.H.1391)	Nuclear Test Medal, 1998 (Tamgha-e-Baqa, A.H.1418)	Escalation versus India Medal, 2002 (Tamgha-e-Istaqlal, A.H.1422)	Medal of Service (Military) (Tamgha-e-Khidmat) Class I (TK I) (1957)
Medal of Service (Military) (Tamgha-e-Khidmat) Class II (TK II) (1957)	Medal of Service (Military) (Tamgha-e-Khidmat) Class III (TK III) (1957)	10-year Service Medal (1992)	20-year Service Medal (1992)	30-year Service Medal (1992)
unknown	40-year Service Medal	President's Medal for Best Shot	Pakistan Independence Medal, 1947 (Pakistan Tamgha, A.H.1366)	Republic Commemoration Medal, 1956 (Tamgha-e-Jamhuria, A.H.1375)
Commemorative Medal of 100th Birth Anniversary of the Great Leader, 1976 (Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam, A.H.1397)	Hijri Medal, 1979 (Hirji Tamgha, A.H.1401)	Democracy Medal, 1988 (Jamhuriat Tamgha, A.H.1409)	Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal, 1990 (Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha, 1411)	Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal, 2006
		Command and Staff College Centenary Medal (w. 2007 Reunion bar) (2005)

Decorations for Foreign Nationals Only

	Order of Pakistan (Nishan-e-Pakistan) (1957/86) Crescent of Pakistan (Hilal-e-Pakistan) (1957/86) Star of Pakistan (Sitara-e-Pakistan) (1957/86) Medal of Pakistan (Tamgha-e-Pakistan) (1957/86)	Order of the Great Leader (Nishan-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (1957/86) Crescent of the Great Leader (Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (1957/86) Star of the Great Leader (Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (1957/86) Medal of the Great Leader (Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (1957/86)	Order of Service (Nishan-e-Khidmat) (1957/86) Crescent of Service (Hilal-e-Khidmat) (1957/86) Star of Service (Sitara-e-Khidmat) (1957/86) Medal of Service (Tamgha-e-Khidmat) (1957/86)
	Star for Good Deeds (2005 Earthquake) (Sitara-e-Eissar) (2006)		Medal for Good Deeds (2005 Earthquake) (Tamgha-e-Eissar) (2006)

Obsolete Decorations
(except commemorative medals)

	Order of Pakistan (Nishan-e-Pakistan) (NPk) (1957-86)	Order of Bravery (Nishan-e-Shujaat) (NSt) (1957-86)	Order of Excellence (Nishan-e-Imtiaz) (NI) (1957-86)	Order of the Great Leader (Nishan-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (NQA) (1957-86)	Order of Service (Nishan-e-Khidmat) (NK) (1960-86)
	Crescent of Pakistan (Hilal-e-Pakistan) (HPk) (1957-86)	Crescent of Bravery (Hilal-e-Shujaat) (HSt) (1957-86)	Crescent of Excellence (Hilal-e-Imtiaz) (HI) (1957-86)	Crescent of the Great Leader (Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (HQA) (1957-86)	Crescent of Service (Hilal-e-Khidmat) (HK) (1960-86)
	Star of Pakistan (Sitara-e-Pakistan) (SPk) (1957-86)	Star of Bravery (Sitara-e-Shujaat) (SSt) (1957-86)	Star of Excellence (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) (SI) (1957-86)	Star of the Great Leader (Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (SQA) (1957-86)	Star of Service (Sitara-e-Khidmat) (SK) (1957-86)
	Medal of Pakistan (Tamgha-e-Pakistan) (SPk) (1957-86)	Medal of Bravery (Tamgha-e-Shujaat) (TSt) (1957-86)	Medal of Excellence (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) (TI) (1957-86)	Medal of the Great Leader (Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam) (TQA) (1957-86)	Medal of Service (Tamgha-e-Khidmat) (TK) (1957-86)
	Star of Good Conduct (Sitara-e-Basalat) (SBt) (1957/75-86)	Medal of Good Conduct (Tamgha-e-Basalat) (TBt) (1957-75)	Medal of Good Conduct (Tamgha-e-Basalat) (TBt) (1975-86)	Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal for Gallantry (Shujaat) (1951?-86)	President's Police Medal for Gallantry (Shujaat) (1954-86)
		Pakistan Police Medal (1951?-75?) Quaid-i-Azam Police Medal for Distinguished Service (Khidmat numayan) (1975?-86)		Pakistan Police Medal for Meritorious Service (1954-75?) President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service (Khidmat numayan) (1975?-86)
Note: The Star of Good Conduct went after the Star of Service, the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal for Gallantry and President's Police Medal for Gallantry before the Medal of Service, the Quaid-i-Azam Police Medal for Distinguished Service and President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service after the Medal of Service. The actual order of precedence is distorted to make the structure of particlar awards clearer.

Other Medals

Azad Kashmir Commemorative Medal, 1947-49
(unofficial)

Notes:

Most Pakistani orders were entirely redesigned in 1986.
All awards of the Nishan-e-Haider so far (10) have been posthumous.
Since 1986 Pakistani citizens have no longer been eligible for the Order of Pakistan, Order of the Great Leader and Order of Service.
Only Pakistani citizens may use postnominal letters of particular decorations.
The Quaid-i-Azam Police Medal for Distinguished Service and President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service seem to have been discontinued.
The awards of I'zaz-i-Kamal, I'zaz-i-Fazeelat and I'zaz-i-Sabqat, which follow the President's Police Medal are non-wearable trophies and consequently have no accompanying ribbons.
The Star for Good Deeds (Sitara-e-Eissar) and Medal for Good Deeds (Tamgha-e-Eissar) are conferred only to foreign nationals and they are out of the order of precedence of Pakistani orders and medals.
The Imtiazi Sanad (IS) is the Pakistani counterpart of the British Mention in Despatches.
The same badge is worn on the ribbon of the Command and Staff College Centenary Medal by individuals who participated in the College Reunion in 2007.
Unlike in most other countries, the Service Medals are worn in the reverse order: for 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of service.

This web page would be impossible without the kind help of my Pakistani friends from defence.pk: PAFAce, Windjammer, Taimikhan, Xeric and Fatman17. Thank you very much, I owe you a lot. Very special thanks to Ed Haynes for assistance.

I still do not have any information about the tan-white-light blue ribbon between the 30-year and 40-year Military Service Medal. If somebody has any information about it, please share to lukasz@medals.pl.